Off Key
by bluephoenixsong
Summary: Ryan is head over heels in love with his inter, Jessica Stone, and now they're expecting their first child. But what Ryan doesn't know is the grandfather of their child is his boss, Horatio Caine. Rated M for adult themes and sexual and physical violencen
1. Calling

**And I'm back again with more Jessica and Ryan love! This is the fourth story in my series "The Intern." It picks up right where I left off on my last one. Enjoy!  
>Peace Out! ~KC<strong>

_Ryan Wolfe and Jessica Stone have been happily together for six months now and it seems no one on the team knows. Now they're ready to start their life together as a family, but Ryan still doesn't know one of Jessica's best kept secrets. Her father is Horatio Caine and Ryan has no idea he's dating his boss's daughter. Now it seems outside forces are trying to tear them apart. Will they be able to keep their secret or will everything blow sky high and their life together will finally end?_

Calling

Jessica and Ryan returned back to work two days after they arrived home from their trip to the Keys. Ryan wanted to tell everyone on the team about their child and their relationship, but Jessica insisted they shouldn't. Though Ryan was excited to become a father he understood Jessica's reasoning. Jessica was still an intern and still Ryan's subordinate. They knew Rick Stetler would go ballistic on them about department rules and regulations on relationships. In about two months Jessica would be done with her internship and they would be able to come out about their relationship and their baby.

While they were signing in at the front desk Horatio came up to them and gave them their assignment.

"It seems Mr. Wolfe and Dr. Stone that two bodies showed up on our doorstep last night." He explained, "They were found out on the loading bay naked with no form of ID at all. Tom has them down in the morgue right now and I would like both of you to go meet with him. I'll be down in a few minutes. I have a few personal things I need to take care of first."

"Alright H," Ryan said, "we're on it."

As they walked to the morgue Jessica looked at Ryan. "I want a dog." she said.

Ryan chuckled. "You want a dog?"

"Yeah, I've wanted one for awhile but I've been so busy with school it didn't seem like a good idea." She paused for a moment. "Can we get one?"

Ryan laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "How about we focus on having a baby first?" he whispered in her ear.

An ear to ear grin spread across Jessica's face. "Yeah I guess that takes priority."

Jessica and Ryan walked into the morgue. There were two steel tables rolled into the center of the room. Upon those tables were two bodies, one male and one female. The man had short dark brown hair with a mass of freckles on his face. The girl had platinum blonde hair with purple highlights.

"What's the deal, Tom?" Ryan asked.

"We've got two unidentified bodies. The man, John Doe, is approximately 30-33 years of age. He has brown eyes, 5'11", missing his front teeth, and has fight bite marks on his knuckles. The woman, Jane Doe, is approximately 26-29 years old. Her eyes are blue, she's 5'5", she was stabbed seventeen times in the abdomen, and she was pregnant. I believe they may have been married, going by the matching wedding bands they're wearing."  
>Ryan shook his head. "That's sickening. Who would do that to a pregnant woman?"<p>

Tom sighed, "I know what you mean Ryan. There are some terrible people in this world. There was one rather odd thing I did find on her body. Ryan, help me flip her over."

Ryan helped Tom flip over the Jane Doe, exposing her back. On her back, etched into her skin, was a heart impaled with a knife. Around the hilt of the knife was a crown with jewels that were made from flesh removed from the young woman's back. Ryan felt Jessica tense beside him. He knew what the symbol meant to her. He could sense the fear that ran through her body.

"I don't know what exactly it means, but I'm going to run some pictures of it over to Walter to have him start looking for something to match it to." Tom said, "I'll be right back. Feel free to look over the bodies to see if you can find anything."

With that Tom walked out of the morgue, pictures in hand, leaving Jessica and Ryan completely alone.

Ryan grabbed Jessica the second the door closed. He held her tight and felt tears form against his neck.

"What does it mean Jessie?" he gently asked her.

"It means someone's been marked for death." she responded "When the Crip Kings want someone to know they're going to die they'll kill someone else first, someone who resembles who they're going to kill."

Ryan nuzzled his face into Jessica's hair. He didn't want to ask the next question that came to his mind, but he knew he was going to have to eventually.

"It's us, isn't it?" he quietly said.

Jessica nodded her head against his neck. "I think so. They're about the right age and have similar physical features. They were left sitting outside the delivery bay, which means they were suppose to be found by someone that knew us. It's a calling card Ryan."

Ryan held her face and kissed her passionately. "No one's going to hurt us, you hear me? We need to tell Horatio and he'll be able to get us protection."  
>Jessica's eyes were now running dry. She no longer felt the fear that was intended for her and the man she loved.<p>

"It doesn't matter Ryan," she said emptily, "Just because they sent it today doesn't mean they'll be here tomorrow. They could wait weeks, months, even years before they attack. There's no way the department would be willing to keep us protected for that long. After a month or so they would call an all clear and then the next day we could get knocked off."

Ryan stood there with Jessica in his arms for a moment, trying to decide what to say next. He looked into her deep blue eyes, his hands on either side of her face. "Then we're just going to have to find them first."

Jessica's eyes glazed over, tears no longer available for her to shed. "Oh Ryan…." Ryan silenced her with a kiss. They stood there, deepening the kiss.

Then they heard the door to the morgue open and someone walk in.

Horatio greeted his only son as Kyle walked off the elevator. Kyle was home for two weeks before he was sent back to his stateside station.

"Dad!" Kyle said, as he ran and embraced his father. "How are you?"

Horatio held Kyle in his arms for a moment and breathed in his son's scent. Holding his children in his arms was simply the greatest thing Horatio could ever ask for.

"I'm doing fine, son. How about you?" Horatio answered.

"I'm great, now that I'm home. How's Jessie? Is she here today?" Kyle was excited to see his sister again. After being an only child for most of his life without a father Kyle loved spending time with Horatio and Jessica, the family he hadn't had growing up.

Horatio chuckled at Kyle's excitement to see his sister again. "Yes, she's here today. Last I knew she went down to the morgue with Ryan to investigate a couple of bodies Dr. Tom is working on. They showed up literally at our doorstep this morning. We have no ID and no clue where they came from. Come on, I'm sure Tom won't mind if you come and take a look, too."

Horatio and Kyle chatted as they made their way to the morgue. Kyle told his father about all the new tactics the army had been training him in. Horatio was extremely proud of his son and all that he had accomplished.

The sight that met them when they walked through the doors to the morgue made Horatio's blood boil. There, in the center of the room, stood Ryan Wolfe with his tongue halfway down his daughter's throat. He was holding onto her face and had his body pressed against hers. Their kiss stopped as soon as the door shut.

Ryan turned to see Horatio and Kyle standing in the morgue watching him as he kissed Jessica. Ryan felt the blood drain from his face and suddenly felt queasy.

Jessica was shocked to see her father standing there, watching her kiss her boyfriend. She watched Horatio's face turn red and contort into a terrifying rage.

"Horatio…." she said quietly.

Horatio threw the door open to the morgue and stormed out. He couldn't stand to be there any longer. He was furious! Ryan Wolfe was taking advantage of his daughter right there in the lab!

"Horatio, wait!" Jessica yelled, running out of the morgue.

Horatio stormed down the hall, trying to get away from his daughter. He didn't know why seeing Ryan and Jessica together had upset him. He had known they had been together for almost seven months now.

Ryan stood there and awkwardly looked at Kyle and then the floor and then back at Kyle again. He was so embarrassed to have just been caught in the act of breaking so many department rules. He didn't know what to say or do. Ryan looked at Kyle one last time with pleading eyes.

"Kyle?" he quietly said.

Kyle looked at Ryan and shook his head. He couldn't believe that Ryan had just been kissing his sister. His sister who was a victim of sexual assault, and who was now in a committed relationship with another man. Kyle couldn't believe Jessica would do such a thing. After everything she had told him about this guy that she was head over heals in love with.

Then it finally hit Kyle. Ryan was, had to be, the man that Jessica was in love with. Ryan was the amazing guy Jessica kept telling him about. The one that had given her the ring and said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

Jessica was going to have Ryan's baby.

"Kyle?" Ryan almost whispered this time.

Kyle was suddenly disgusted. He backed away from Ryan and ran out the door after his father and sister. He couldn't believe that his sister was dating Ryan Wolfe. Kyle had never had a personal problem with Ryan. In fact Ryan had helped proved his mother was innocent when prescription drugs went missing from the morgue when Julia had come to visit a few years before. There was just something about Ryan kissing his sister that drove Kyle over the edge.

Jessica finally caught up to her father. She grabbed Horatio by the arm and tried to stop him.

"Horatio, listen to me." She said in a hushed tone.

"Why?" Horatio replied angrily.

"Because I can explain."

"No Jessica, there is nothing to explain here." Horatio shook his arm free of Jessica's hold and began walking away.

Jessica jumped in front of him.

"_No! Stop!"_ she signed, _"You will listen to me!"_

"_You have nothing to tell me that I don't already know!"_

"_Well, if that's how you feel then I won't tell you about the mark on the girl's back!"_

Horatio looked at his daughter in confusion. _"What are you saying?"_

Jessica sighed and looked at her father. _"The girl has the mark of the Crip Kings on her back."_

"_You mean like a tattoo?"_

"_No, it's craved into her skin. It's a calling card."_

Horatio's eyes widened with shock. _"Who is it for?"_

Jessica blinked back tears. _"I don't know for sure, but I think it's for me and Ryan. The couple resembles us enough and it was delivered to the lab. The girl's even pregnant and they might be married. I don't know if that means they know for sure that I'm pregnant or even that Ryan and I are together, but it could just be a personal touch."_

Horatio looked at his daughter with fear in his eyes. "He was comforting you, wasn't he?"

Jessica nodded her head. "He won't admit it but I know he's scared. I mean two dead people show up at the lab, that are suppose to represent us, and I tell him we're marked for death. I think for good reason he's probably scared out of his mind."

Horatio walked the short distance to Jessica. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and buried his face into her hair.

"They've found me, H." Jessica whispered, "James sent them and they found me. Travis wasn't the only one. Now they're going to kill me."  
>Horatio shook his head. "Not if we kill them first."<p> 


	2. Safe House

Safe House

Jessica and Ryan were immediately placed in a department safe house. It was a small two bedroom apartment. One bedroom was used for security set up, and the other housed who ever the department was protecting. They were followed to and from work by at least one patrol unit every day. They weren't permitted to go anywhere besides work and home.

Frank didn't like the idea of Jessica and Ryan sharing the second bedroom, but felt easier about it when he saw there were two beds in the room.

"I'm going to help the other guys set up the cameras and surveillance equipment." Frank told them, "Just holler if you need anything." With that he walked from the bedroom into the other.

Jessica turned and kissed Ryan. "I love you so much. We're going to get through this. Everything is going to be fine."

Ryan leaned his forehead against hers. "I know, you're here to protect me. I trust you and I know you'll keep me safe." He kissed her palm. "You know these guys better than anyone else. You know how they work and what they're going to do." He looked deep into her eyes. "You'll keep me safe, I know it."

* * *

><p>Jessica and Ryan were settling down for the night. After a long day of being told what they could and couldn't do by Frank they both felt exhausted. Both were given micro ankle bracelets to track their travels. They didn't look like the ones given to people who were under house arrest, though these were much smaller and the receiver was almost undetectable. It appeared to be just a black plastic band around their ankles.<p>

Jessica was lying on her back on her bed with her leg raised above her fiddling with her bracelet.

"You shouldn't do that Jessie." Ryan said "Horatio will be pissed if you take it off within two hours of receiving it."  
>"I'm not trying to remove it." She said, flopping her leg back onto the bed, "It's itchy and irritating me."<p>

Ryan couldn't help but chuckle at his girlfriend. "You're so adorable."  
>Jessica smiled at him and walked over to Ryan's bed.<p>

Jessica climbed in with Ryan into the small twin bed. She snuggled up close and kissed his neck.

"You know it's been awhile since I shared a twin bed with someone." She whispered, "Back when I was studying at Penn State to be exact."

"You lived on campus at Penn State?" Ryan asked.

"Only for a year, then I got my own apartment in town." Jessica nuzzled against Ryan's chest. "Jon, Jon Tavern, that's the guy I shared my bed with."

Ryan shifted and looked at her. "You shared a bed with another man?"

"Yeah, we used to cuddle and sleep together. We never had sex though. We broke it off after a few months. It was a mutual thing; neither of us saw it going anywhere."

Ryan pulled her close. "Well now you're mine and you're not going anywhere." He kissed the top of her head.

Jessica nuzzled against Ryan and reached her hand down. She began palming him through his pajama pants. Ryan tried to stifle a moan with great difficulty.

"Jess," he said, "Frank's just in the next room with a few of his guys. They'll be able to hear us."

"So? Horatio knows we're together now. What's it matter? Besides," she bit his neck, "Frank's afraid of me anyways. Something about the whole being a former Crip King thing. Plus we have no clue how long we're going to be living in these conditions. Do you really want to go that long without sex?"

Ryan thought about the situation for second. "Ok fine!" he finally said.

Jessica continued to bite Ryan's neck and stroked his forming erection through his pants. Ryan let himself be dominated and overtaken by Jessica. He loved how aggressive Jessica was about sex sometimes.

Ryan tugged at Jessica's pajama pants and slipped them down her legs. Jessica kicked them the rest of the way off, along with her panties. Ryan slipped his fingers inside her, and it was Jessica's turn to stifle a moan. Jessica rolled over so Ryan was on top of her. She yanked his pants and boxers off at once and pushed them down his legs with her foot. Ryan removed his fingers and rubbed his erection between Jessica's legs and felt her moan into his mouth.

"Please Ryan" Jessica said breathlessly.

"Anything for you my love," Ryan said, as he slowly entered her.

Jessica moaned and lifted her hips against Ryan's. Ryan throbbed hard inside her and Jessica contracted tightly around him.

"My god Jessica," Ryan said, "Every time it feels the same."

"How's that?" Jessica asked.

"Hot, tight, so amazing….oh god you feel so incredible!" Ryan panted.

Ryan started thrusting in and out of Jessica. She quickly began panting for air.

"Ryan!" she moaned, "Oh my god you're always so big and hard!" Jessica felt a spike in her pleasure as Ryan hit her sweet spot. "Right there! Oh god, do that again!"

Ryan thrusted harder in the direction Jessica told him. She arched her back and her head fell against the pillow.  
>"Oh Ryan!" Jessica cried out.<p>

* * *

><p>Frank sat there in the control room with one of his patrol units. They could hear Jessica and Ryan in the next room. Frank groaned and rubbed his eyes.<p>

"Are they seriously doing what I think they're doing?" Frank asked his patrol.

"Yeah, I think so." The officer replied, a little uncomfortable about the situation.

"My god" Frank said, as he pulled out his cell phone. He dialed Horatio's number and waited for the Lieutenant to answer.

"Caine" Frank finally heard on the other end.

"Horatio, do you have any idea what your daughter and Wolfe are doing right now?" Frank asked heatedly.

"No, but I can take a good guess, Frank." Horatio replied, still a little annoyed about catching them in the morgue earlier.

"Well what am I suppose to do about it?" Frank asked, a little aggravated about the whole situation.

"Just let them." Horatio said, "They're both consenting adults that love each other. What's it matter to you what they do in bed?"

Frank was a little taken aback by this statement. "Love? What do you mean they're in love?"

"They've been dating for a few months now, Frank. Jessica told me she was planning on coming out to the team about it after she completed her internship."

Frank was stunned. "You mean you've been letting Ryan Wolfe date your daughter and you're ok with it?"

"Well I didn't know for awhile. Jessica wasn't even going to tell me. I probably wouldn't have found out about it until today if she hadn't slipped up one day. Jessica isn't a child anymore, Frank. I can't control what, for that matter or who, she does. I know I can trust her and she can make decisions on her own."

"But why Wolfe?" Frank asked.

"I asked her the same question Frank. She couldn't exactly tell me why, but I think we both know."

"Something just ain't right about that. Isn't Wolfe her supervisor?"

"Yes, but neither of them could help the fact that they fell in love."

"I'm still baffled that you let this happen."

"Well I told Jessie to end it but she refused. What am I supposed to do about it? It's not like when she was a kid and I could just take her somewhere else to avoid the man she loves."

Frank sighed. "Well I hope they brought their own stuff because this ain't an escort service I'm running here."

"Don't you dare talk about my daughter that way!" Horatio hissed, "You have no clue what she's been through! Sure Ryan Wolfe doesn't seem like the best guy in the world to you, but Jessie's found someone she loves who can love her back despite her past and everything she's been through! I love Jessica more than anything in the world and I won't stand here and listen to you disgrace my daughter!"

Frank sat there shocked. "I'm sorry Horatio, I didn't mean anything by it. I was just trying to make a joke."  
>"Well I find nothing funny about it! Keep my daughter and the man she loves safe Frank!"<p>

Horatio hung up without another word.

The patrol unit looked at Frank a little confused. "Are you alright, sir?"

"Yeah, I just remembered the first rule about working in the Miami crime lab."  
>"What's that?"<p>

"Don't piss Horatio Caine off."


	3. Loosing You

Loosing you

Ryan held Jessica's hand as they walked off the elevator and into the crime lab. They were followed by Frank and the patrol unit from the night before. The officer was clearly uncomfortable being around them and Ryan guessed they had probably heard him and Jessica having sex again.

Ryan released Jessica's hand and signed in. He handed the pen to Jessica and waited for her to sign in. They then walked to the locker room together. From there they went to their lab and began processing evidence. Jessica was tired of looking at finger prints and tire treads, but knew Horatio wouldn't let them out into the field out of fear of the Crip Kings attacking. It had been three days since the calling card had been sent to them and nothing had happened. Jessica knew this wasn't a sign that the Crip Kings had given up. They were waiting for when she least expected them.

Jessica and Ryan began looking over crime scene pictures, trying to determine what happened exactly without being there. Jessica's phone buzzed and she tapped the screen to display the message from Horatio.

'Do you think you and Ryan could slow it down a bit? Frank just told me he and his men are really uncomfortable listening to you every night.'

Jessica smirked and responded. 'No, I'll do Ryan whenever I want. Maybe I'll take him right here in the lab.' Jessica sent the message and waited for the reply she was sure to come.

Horatio was suddenly standing in the doorway to the lab and barged right in.

"Mr. Wolfe, Dr. Stone how are things going?" he asked.

"Everything's going pretty good, H." Ryan responded, a little confused as to why Horatio was unexpectedly paying them a visit. "Just trying to figure out what caused the void in this blood pool." Ryan indicted the photo he had been examining.

"How are you doing Jessie Bug?" Horatio asked.

"Well besides having cabin fever and a parasite growing inside me as a side effect of falling in love, I'd say I'm doing pretty good." Jessica smirked at her father. Horatio gave her a measured look and nodded. He turned and walked out of the lab.

Ryan looked at Jessica in amazement. "Should you really be talking to your boss that way? I mean he only found out a few days ago that we're dating."  
>Jessica scoffed, "Please Horatio's been a second father to me most of my life, I think he can handle it."<p>

Jessica's phone buzzed and she read the message from Horatio.

'You're so grounded. I'm going to put the two of you in separate safe houses.'

'Sorry can't talk, having sex.' Jessica replied.

Horatio hastily walked by the lab again and peered in. He glared momentarily at Jessica and then left again.

"What did you say to him?" Ryan asked.

"Oh nothing." Jessica smirked at him.

Ryan rolled his eyes and went back to work.

* * *

><p>Horatio was sitting at his desk filling out paperwork when Rick Stetler walked in, followed closely by two police officers that Horatio didn't recognize.<p>

"Can I help you Rick?" Horatio asked. He was always annoyed when he had to talk to Stetler.

"Horatio I need to speak to you about one of your CSIs." Stetler said. He handed Horatio a piece of paper.

Horatio looked over the warrant and stared at Stetler in disbelief. "This can't be right."

Stetler shrugged his shoulders. "I'm doing what the Big Pine Island Police told me to do."

Horatio sighed and picked up his phone. He sent a quick text and waited. He looked at Stetler with anger in his cool blue eyes.

* * *

><p>Jessica and Ryan had been at work for about two hours when Ryan received a text from Horatio.<p>

'Mr. Wolfe I need you to come to my office immediately.'

Ryan looked at the message perplexed. Jessica noticed the concerned look on his face.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Horatio wants to see me in his office." he said, "I wonder what it's about."

"Well don't keep him waiting." Jessica gave him a quick kiss. She also felt uneasy about the situation.

Ryan walked out of the lab and towards his boss's office. When he arrived he was greeted by Horatio, Rick Stetler, and two police officers. Their badges and uniforms indicated they were from the Big Pine Island in the Keys.

"Mr. Wolfe," Horatio said, "Rick needs to talk to you."  
>Ryan immediately felt a sense of panic. He thought that Stetler had found out him and Jessica and now he was going to loose his job again.<p>

"Ryan Wolfe," Stetler began. Ryan never liked the way Stetler said his name; he always sounded disgusted. "As you may have heard there was a young woman murdered on the Big Pine Island. Her body was discovered two days ago in a hotel. Upon examination of the crime scene there was DNA evidence found indicating a man was in the room. Do you know who CODIS said it was?"

Ryan slowly shook his head.

"Rick!" Horatio snapped, "Will you get on with it! Ryan's not here to play games!"

Stetler gave Horatio an evil smirk. He grabbed a piece of paper off Horatio's desk and handed it to Ryan without ever breaking eye contact with Horatio.

Ryan looked over the paper and looked at Stetler in disbelief. "What is this, some kind of joke?"

"No Ryan Wolfe," Stetler said, "That is a warrant for your arrest from the Big Pine Island Police Department for the murder of Lisa Stephenson." Stetler nodded to the officers.

The officers walked over and one pulled Ryan from his chair. He placed handcuffs on Ryan's wrists. Ryan looked at Horatio pleadingly.

"Horatio…" Ryan said.

"I'm sorry Ryan," Horatio said, "There's nothing I can legally do at this point." Horatio felt his heart break at the look in Ryan's eyes. "Ryan," Horatio grabbed his arm, "You're not in this alone. Jessica and I will be there as soon as we can. We're going to prove your innocents."

Ryan choked a little. "Thank you Horatio."

The officers pushed Ryan out of Horatio's office and into the hall. Everyone was staring at him as he walked to the elevator. His team members and other staff began emerging from their labs to see what the commotion was. He tried not to meet anyone's eyes. Ryan was so furious and embarrassed. He didn't know what was going on, but he trusted Horatio when he said he wouldn't be alone.

"Ryan?" he heard a familiar voice say, "Horatio, what's going on?"

* * *

><p>Jessica walked into the DNA lab. She hoped a visit to her big sister would help with her restlessness and not being able to leave the lab. Natalia was running some samples when Jessica arrived.<p>

"Talia," Jessica said, "I'm bored. Can we go get lunch together today?"

"Sorry Jess," Natalia responded, "I know Horatio's orders. You're only allowed out of the lab unless you're going home. Maybe some other time. I can bring you something back though."

Natalia looked over Jessica's shoulder and a confused look washed over her face.

"Ryan?" she said questionably, "Jessica, what's going on with Ryan?"

Jessica turned and looked out the windows of the lab. Ryan was being led down the hall in handcuffs by two officers. He was looking at the ground and he looked like he might vomit. Rick Stetler was following close behind. Horatio was walking down the hall some distance behind them.

Jessica ran out of the DNA lab and looked down the hall.

"Ryan?" she called out. She grabbed Horatio's arm and stopped him. "Horatio, what's going on?"

Horatio looked at his daughter. "Ryan's been arrested for the murder of Lisa Stephenson by the Big Pine Island Police."

Horatio watched as his daughter's heart broke right in front of him. He saw the color drain from her face and the tears form in her eyes. Jessica turned and looked at Ryan.

Then she was running, running down the hall towards Ryan. Horatio knew what she was going to do. He ran after her. He couldn't let her go through with what he knew she was going to do. Not in front of Rick Stetler. It would ruin her career.

Jessica ran towards the love of her life. "Ryan!" she cried "RYAN!"

Ryan could hear Jessica yelling his name. He couldn't face her. He couldn't see the hurt in her eyes. Ryan felt his heart breaking within his chest.

"RYAN!" Jessica finally reached them.

Jessica grabbed Ryan's arm and turned him towards her. Jessica kissed Ryan. She held his face when Ryan tried to pull away from her. Ryan realized there was no use fighting. He kissed Jessica back, pouring all of his love into that one kiss.

Horatio froze in place. He watched his daughter kiss Ryan right in front of Rick Stetler. Horatio knew Jessica didn't care about anyone but Ryan in that moment. Horatio pulled out his phone and found the number he was looking for.

"Hudson's Attorney at Law" he heard on the other end.

"This is Lieutenant Horatio Caine I need to speak to William, please." Horatio said.

"Absolutely Lieutenant Caine, give me just a moment to connect you." the receptionist said.

Jessica pulled back from Ryan and looked at him.

"Ryan," she said, "I don't know what's going on but I'll be there. I'm going to get you out of this. I'm never going to leave you. I love you Ryan Wolfe."

Ryan looked at her in disbelief. "I love you, too, Jessica."

"I'd hate to ruin this perfect moment," Stetler said, "But we need to leave Dr. Stone-Ca-"

"You're not going to get away with this Stetler!" Jessica interrupted him, almost snarling at him, "You haven't heard the last of me!"

Stetler gave her a disgusted look. "You're just like your father."

"And I'm damn proud of it." Jessica said snidely.

Stetler glared at her. "Get him out of here."

The officers pushed Ryan into the elevator, Stetler following behind them. Jessica continued to stare at him with an intense fury as the doors closed.

Horatio hung up his phone. He walked over to Jessica and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm sorry Jessie Bug," Horatio said, "I don't know how this happened or what's going on, but we're going to figure it out. I promise you're not going to loose Ryan."

Jessica leaned into her father. "Daddy…."

"It's ok Jessie, we're going to save him."


	4. Back to the Island

**Terrible sorry about the lack of update. I tried to update last week but apparently it didn't go through or something.**

Back to the Island

Ryan was shoved into a Big Pine Island police helicopter. Ryan felt himself get really nervous about having to fly. It was a torturous forty-five minute flight. When they arrived Ryan was pulled from the helicopter and led into the police station. They took him to an interrogation room and sat him at the table. Ryan looked at the investigator that sat across from him.

"What am I doing here?" he asked, "What evidence do you have to hold me here?"

"I'm doing great, how about you?" the investigator said, "My name is Officer Robert Gale. We've brought you here Mr. Wolfe because we found biological evidence from you in the hotel room where the young woman was found."

"Biological evidence? Hotel room?" Ryan was confused, "I have no clue what you're talking about."

Gale rolled his eyes. "We found biological evidence in the hotel room where the dead young woman was found two days ago."

"That can't be from me, I've been back in Miami for almost a week now."

"Can anyone verify that?"

"Yes, my coworkers, my girlfriend, my sister, my uncle, and all the police that have been monitoring my every move."  
>"You have police tracking you?" Gale questioned.<p>

"Yes, I received a death threat a few days ago so Jessica and I were placed in protective services." Ryan explained.

"Who would threaten you?"

"What does this matter? You're telling me I murdered someone and you want to know whose threatening me and why I'm in protective services?" Ryan was getting furious.

"That's enough Officer Gale." a man said that walked into the room. He walked over to Gale and extended his hand with a card. "William Hudson, Attorney at Law. I'm here to represent Mr. Wolfe. My client refuses to answer any further questions until we've had a chance to talk."

Gale gave the man a dirty look. "Fine, one of these officers will take you to a client room."  
>"Can I get these cuffs removed?" Ryan asked.<p>

"Not until we can prove you're not the murderer." Gale stated.

"That's bull, you can't keep me like this. I'm a cop myself. Do you think I don't know what's going on? Get these things off me!" Ryan growled.

Gale sighed and removed the cuffs from Ryan's wrists. One of the officers led them to another room with no windows and a single light hanging from the ceiling.

"Mr. Wolfe," Hudson said, "My name is William Hudson and I'm here to represent you."

"Are you a state attorney?" Ryan asked.

"No, I'm a private attorney. You probably know one of my regular clients, Dr. Jessica Stone. I received a call saying that you needed someone to represent you immediately after you were arrested."

Ryan eyes widened at the sound of Jessica's name. "Jessica sent you?"

"That's not important right now." William said, "We need to go over the case and the evidence and I have a few questions for you."

"First Lisa Stephenson was found murdered two days ago in the Big Pine Marriott Hotel. She had been stabbed repeatedly and sexually assaulted. She had been dead about for about twelve hours when her body was discovered by a maid." William explained.

"But I was in Miami for the last five days. In fact my every move has been monitored for the last three days because I received a death threat from a gang." Ryan said.

"Well that's good. We can obtain surveillance from the police then to build your defense." William jotted down some notes on a legal pad. "Do they have you tracked in any way?"

"Yeah, I have an ankle bracelet." Ryan lifted his leg, "It's been tracking every where I go. My boss is afraid of Jessica or me getting kidnapped. This is so they can find us if we go missing."

"Ok, we'll get records of where you've been in the last couple of days."

"But if there's all this evidence that I haven't been in the Keys why am I here?" Ryan asked.

"Because Ryan," William answered, "They found biological evidence of you in the hotel room that Lisa was found in."  
>"What kind of biological evidence?"<p>

"Semen, it was on the carpeting under the victim's body." William told Ryan.

"Semen?" Ryan was confused. Then it hit him. "What room was the victim found in?"

"416," William said, "Her body was in the living room of the suite by the couch."

"Oh my god." Ryan said.

"What is it?" William questioned.

"I was there."

"What do you mean you were there?"

"I was there last week for a conference. That's the same room that Jessica and I stayed in!" Ryan's mind was racing. He tried to think back to what had happened that week.

"Did you have sex in that room at all?" William prompted.

Ryan hesitated, "Um, yeah, we did."

"Frequently?" William was writing notes.

"Yeah…" Ryan felt a little uncomfortable answering William's questions but he knew it would help prove he was innocent.

"Where?"

Ryan paused momentarily. "Um, everywhere."

William looked at Ryan perplexed. "What do you mean everywhere?"

"I mean literally we had sex all over that hotel suite." Ryan felt his ears burn red.

"Ok, then do you know why they wasn't any evidence of Jessica in the hotel?"

"Vaginal reconstructive surgery, she doesn't secrete at a normal level." Ryan explained, "That and…..well, when we were in the living room she, um, she gave me a hand job and I, um, may have ejaculated onto the carpeting….a couple of times."

William looked at Ryan and continued to write. "Mr. Wolfe, I understand how uncomfortable this is making you, but I need you to tell me everything that you and Dr. Stone did in that hotel room. I'm not a forensic expert but it sounds to me that the evidence found from you was from the week before. Is that possible?"

"Yeah, semen can be detected for years if the carpeting wasn't cleaned properly. It's plausible that they found evidence from Jessica and me from the week before."

"Good, this will help your defense." William said. Ryan felt a little relieved. "Unfortunately you're still considered a suspect by the police which means you're going to have to be held in jail until you're proven innocent. I did manage to get you a private cell. It's a solitary confinement cell but it's for your safety. The inmates would have a hay day if they found out you were a cop."

"Yeah, wouldn't want them killing me before the state does." Ryan said sarcastically.

* * *

><p>Jessica and Horatio leapt from the Miami Dade Helicopter. They grabbed their suitcases and kits from the floor and began walking away from the helicopter.<p>

"Where are we going, Horatio?" Jessica asked over the whirling of the blades.

"First we're checking in at our hotel and then we're headed to the Big Pine County Jail." Horatio explained.

They checked into their hotel room and found their rental car waiting for them outside. They loaded their kits into the trunk and Horatio drove them to the jail. They walked in and stopped at the security desk.

"Excuse me sir," Horatio said, "But we're looking for a man that was recently arrested in the Lisa Stephenson case. His name is Ryan Wolfe and he should have been brought in about two hours ago. I'm Lieutenant Horatio Caine and this is Dr. Jessica Caine. Ryan is one of my employees at the Miami Dade Crime Lab and we're here to aid in his defense."

"Oh, you know that bastard that murdered that poor girl?" the guard asked, "Yeah he's here but only family and his attorney can visit him."

Jessica's fist pounded onto the desk. "Hey asshole he didn't murder anyone! He's innocent until the police can prove it really was him!"

"Jessica, sweetheart, only one of my children is allowed to go to jail today." Horatio said, placing his hand on Jessica's shoulder. She gave him a sideways glance.

"Children?" the guard said, "Are you saying Wolfe is your son?" The guard searched through a file and found the page he was looking for. "According to this both of Wolfe's parents are dead."

"He's not my biological son, he's my son-in-law. He's my daughter's husband." Horatio's grip on Jessica's shoulder tightened. Jessica knew where this was going. She uncurled her fist and the ring on her left hand shined.

The guard's eyes grew bigger as he examined the ring. He looked at the file again. "Doesn't say Wolfe's married." he snapped.  
>Horatio reached in his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "It's fairly new." Horatio held the paper out for the guard. The guard snatched it out of Horatio's hand and read over it. He looked at Horatio in disbelief.<p>

"If you don't believe me," Horatio said, "You can call the judge yourself."

The guard peered at Horatio. He picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Hello, Judge Iddings?" the guard said, "My name is my name is Rodger Foreman, I'm a guard at the Big Pine County Jail. I have Lieutenant Caine and Dr. Caine here and they're claiming that you legalized the marriage of Ryan Wolfe and Jessica Caine today. Is this true?" The guard listened for a moment. Horatio and Jessica watched his face flush and they could hear an angry voice on the other end. "Well thank you your honor and I'm very sorry to have disturbed you." The guard hung up the phone and turned back to Horatio and Jessica. "Well Dr. Wolfe I'll call down to solitary confinement to notify the guards there you're here to see your husband." He handed the paper to Jessica.

Jessica looked down at the paper. It was a photo copy of a marriage certificate signed by Judge Greg Iddings. According to this Jessica and Ryan had been married that morning at 8:37am at the Dade County Courthouse.

* * *

><p>Ryan laid on his bed, if he could really call the piece of foam on a bench that. His thoughts were running everywhere as he stared at the ceiling. It seemed so surreal that he was being held in jail for a murder he didn't commit. He wondered if this was how the wrongly convicted felt every day when they woke up.<p>

A guard came up to his cell. "Wake up Wolfe," he said, "You have a visitor."

Ryan looked at him leeringly. William said he wouldn't be back for a few hours. Surely there hadn't been enough time. Ryan didn't have his watch or phone so he had no clue how long he had been sitting there.

"Are you coming Wolfe or are you just going to sit there?" the guard barked.

"You don't have to yell." Ryan retorted. He stood from the bed and walked out of the open cell.

The guard placed Ryan in handcuffs and led him down the hall and to the elevator. The guard's grip never loosened the whole time and he was hurting Ryan.

"Can you ease up on your grip a little?" Ryan asked.

"No, now walk." The guard shoved Ryan out of the elevator.

They walked down the hall to the visitor area. Ryan was led into one of the client-attorney rooms. The guard removed the handcuffs and shoved Ryan into one of the chairs at the table.

"Your wife will be here in a minute." The guard practically spat. He walked out and locked the door behind him.

Ryan sat there thinking. "Wife?" he said to himself.

Just then the door opened and Jessica walked in. Ryan jumped from his chair and ran to her. He pulled her against his body and kissed her.

"Oh god Jessica!" Ryan almost cried, "I'm so happy to see you!" he buried his face into her neck and just held her. Ryan finally felt that there was something real in his life again.

Jessica kissed his hair. Ryan felt so small in her arms.

"We need to talk Ryan." she said, "I need you to fill me in on what's going on."

Ryan released his grip on his girlfriend. They sat at the table. Jessica looked long and hard at him. Ryan seemed pale and he looked like dark circles had already started to form under his eyes. Ryan looked so distressed. Jessica placed her hand on his cheek. "Oh Ryan" was all she could manage.

Ryan placed his hand over Jessica's. "They found my semen under the body at the crime scene."

Jessica looked at him perplexed. "But how did it get there?"

"She was found in the same hotel room we stayed in last week for the conference."

Jessica's eyes widened. "You're kidding? They found semen from the week before and that's why we're here?" Jessica was shocked.

"Yeah, William said that if you can confirm all of the activity that took place between us in the room it could very well prove my innocence. That and the fact that's the only place they found evidence from me is on the carpeting in the living room."

"William?" Jessica asked perplexed, "Who's William?"

"William Hudson, your attorney. He said you called him and asked him to represent me."

"Ryan I never-" Jessica thought it over for a second. "Daddy" Jessica said, "My father must have called him!"  
>"How did he know I had been arrested?" Ryan asked.<p>

"Do you really think I would have stood there and watch the man I love be arrested and not tell my father?" Jessica asked.

Ryan couldn't help but chuckle and smile at her. "Why don't I ever think of these things?"

"Because you're too busy killing people." Jessica said sarcastically.

"Careful love, these rooms are monitored." Ryan warned.

"Oops, I forgot." Jessica couldn't help but laugh. A smile spread across Ryan's face.

"Oh Ryan" Jessica said. He leaned in and kissed her. "I've missed your smile."

"I love you Jessica and I know you're going to figure this out. I think you're probably smarter than the entire Big Pine Police Department combined."

"Then I guess it's a good thing you didn't marry me here." Jessica chuckled and kissed him.

The door opened with a bang. "Alright Wolfe, your time's up!" the guard yelled, "Say good bye to your wife!" The guard grabbed Ryan's arm and pulled him away from Jessica.

"Wait!" Jessica yelled. "I'm not done saying good bye to my husband!"

The guard stopped, a look of fear obvious on his face.

Jessica walked forward and kissed Ryan. "I love you Ryan and I know we'll get through this."

"Jessica," Ryan said, "How…." Ryan couldn't figure out how to finish his question. Jessica knew though. She held up a piece of paper for Ryan to read. Ryan could see it was a marriage certificate with his and Jessica's names on it.

"I promise," Jessica said, "I'll tell you as soon as I know."

Jessica leaned up and kissed her one more time. Ryan returned the kiss and poured his love into it. Jessica stepped back and Ryan looked into her eyes.

"Melinda" Ryan said, "If we have a daughter can we name her Melinda?"

"Why Melinda?" Jessica asked.

"My mother's name was Melinda." Ryan said, "And if it's ok with you I'd like to name our daughter Melinda."

Jessica smiled. "Of course, anything for you pumpkin."

The guard pulled Ryan away and led him out the door. Jessica felt her heart sink. Her hands moved to her belly and held it. "Oh Ryan" she whispered.  
>Jessica suddenly felt something move inside her. Tears formed in her eyes as she realized it was her baby. "We're going to get through this Ryan." Her grip on her belly increased, "All of us."<p>

* * *

><p>Horatio watched his daughter walk towards him, with a guard by her side. She had tears in her eyes and her hand was on her stomach. He rose from his chair and closed the distance between them.<p>

"Jessie," Horatio said, "What's wrong?"

Jessica looked at her father. "The girl was found in the same suite that Ryan and I stayed in last week. Ryan's semen was found under her body and that's why he's a suspect. We think the semen is from the week before. We need to go over to the Big Pine police station and see what evidence they have. I also have to talk to someone named," Jessica glanced at the card the guard had given her, "Robert Gale, and from what I've heard he isn't the nicest person."

Horatio nodded. "William called while you were with Ryan. He wants to talk to you also. He needs you to confirm everything that Ryan's told him. If your stories match up and we can prove the biological evidence is from last week then Ryan could be walking out tomorrow."

Jessica sighed and buried her face into Horatio's chest. Horatio could feel her crying. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"Everything's going to be ok Jessie Bug." Horatio said, kissing the top of her head.

"It was just so hard, sitting there looking at him in that jumpsuit so stressed out. He looked ill Daddy. You would have thought he hadn't slept in days."  
>Horatio held his daughter. "We're going to get him out Jessica, I promise."<p>

Horatio thought he felt Jessica's abdomen move. He pulled back. "Hiccups?" he asked.

Jessica shook her head. "She's moving." Jessica placed Horatio's hand on her belly.

Horatio's eyes lit up as he felt his grandchild move. They were slow, soft movements that Horatio almost didn't catch. He looked at his daughter and felt tears form in his eyes.

"I'm finally going to have a baby Daddy." Jessica smiled.

Horatio pulled her close. "I know Bug."


	5. Reanalysis

Reanalysis

Jessica and Horatio walked into the Big Pine City Crime Lab. They were greeted by a woman with brown curly hair. "Lieutenant Caine, Dr. Wolfe, my name is Stella Bratcher, I'm the head of the crime lab here." She held out her hand for Horatio and then Jessica. She turned to Jessica, "I'm terribly sorry about the predicament we've got your husband in right now Dr. Wolfe. We were only following the evidence and unfortunately it led us to your husband."

Jessica nodded her head. "I understand," Jessica said, "We can only work with what we have. If you don't mind though, Officer Bratcher, my father and I would like to take a look at the evidence you've collected and possibly the crime scene."  
>Stella nodded her head. "I see no harm in doing so. It must be difficult going through this, especially with your marriage being so new."<br>Jessica gave her an appreciative look. "Yes, it's quite difficult."

Stella led Horatio and Jessica to a lab. Crime scene photos were laid out over the light table. The scene was brutal. The young girl was rather tall with short blonde curly hair that fanned out around her head. Large amounts of blood were pooled under her body and the front of her white dress was completely stained red with several holes in the front.

In another picture the body had been removed and the blood pools were labeled with index card markers. There was one index card sitting in the void where the body had been. It was labeled "8-RW." Jessica knew the RW stood for Ryan Wolfe.

"So the semen from my husband was found under the body?" Jessica asked.

"Yes," Stella answered, "It was one of three traces of semen we've found. The other two weren't in CODIS and we were hoping that your husband would rat out the other men, but it seems that since he might not be our man we won't be able to get the names of the others."  
>"Can we possibly go to the crime scene?" Jessica asked. She felt a twinge in her belly and placed her hand over the growing lump. She could feel the tiny movements again.<p>

"We could, but it's getting late and we're close to shift change, and I would rather stay with you during this investigation." Stella said.

Jessica looked disappointed. "You're sure we can't go to the hotel?"

Horatio wrapped his arm around Jessica's shoulders. "Jessie, we should go back to our room and rest. It's been a long day and you could probably use some food and sleep, especially in your condition." Horatio placed his hand over Jessica's on her stomach.

Jessica sighed and looked at Horatio. "I guess you're right Daddy."

Stella looked at her surprised. "Are you pregnant?"

Jessica smiled and shook her head. "I just told my husband five days ago when we got home from the forensic conference."

Jessica could see Stella's eyes softening and could detect the sympathy forming for the young couple that had been torn apart. "We'll figure this out." Stella said, "No child should grow up with a father in jail."

* * *

><p>Horatio was lying awake in his bed. He was sure that Jessica was asleep in her bed just four feet away. He rolled over and looked out the window. His thoughts were with Ryan.<p>

Horatio had accepted Ryan onto the team with a hasty interview after Tim Speedle's untimely death. Horatio had become fond of Ryan, though he made the occasional mistake, but the day Ryan was caught gambling on the clock Horatio had lost a lot of respect for the young man.

Ryan had come to Horatio and begged for his job back. Horatio told Ryan he would think it over and get back to him. Not knowing what to do Horatio had called Jessica. He asked his daughter her opinion on the matter and whether Horatio should give the young man his job back. Horatio to this day remembered Jessica's exact words.

"_Everyone makes mistakes Daddy and all they want is to be forgiven. Give this guy another chance. It sounds like he's learned from his mistakes and it won't happen again. I know I learned from my mistakes, and that changed my life forever. When I was given that second chance it meant the world to me because I was able to become a better person. Give him the chance he needs to grow as a person. I promise Dad you won't be disappointed!"_

Horatio had never told Jessica it was Ryan he had called her about. Horatio didn't use Ryan's name because he knew he shouldn't have even called his daughter about the matter since it was confidential Miami Dade employee information.

Horatio had given Ryan back his job and Ryan had excelled. Though Ryan stayed out of trouble and did a thorough job Horatio had never regained the respect for the young man he had once had before Ryan was fired. When Jessica admitted to being in love with Ryan Horatio didn't know what to think. Though he trusted Ryan again that trust only went to a certain degree. He feared that Ryan Wolfe would screw up his daughter's life, just as he had his own.

Horatio heard something move in the room. Jessica's slender form came into view and her knees popped as she knelt beside the bed.

"Daddy?" she said.

"Jessie Bug," Horatio said, sitting up, "What's wrong?"

"I can't sleep Daddy," Jessica said, tears forming in her eyes, "I'm worrying too much about Ryan."

Horatio pulled his daughter onto his lap and kissed her cheek. "I'm sorry Bug. I'm worried about him, too."

Horatio then did something he hadn't done in years. He pulled Jessica into the bed next to him and held her close. She laid her head on his shoulder and cried. Horatio ran his hand down her back the same way he had so many times before. Soon Horatio felt Jessica's body slowly relax and knew she was asleep. Horatio kissed the top of her head and held his daughter close.

"I promise Jessie," he whispered, "We're going to save him."

* * *

><p>Horatio pulled up to the Marriott and quickly located Stella. He and Jessica climbed out of their rental car and grabbed their kits from the backseat. They followed Stella into the hotel as she briefed them on the lab's findings thus far.<p>

"We found Wolfe's semen in the carpeting along with two other unidentified males." she said, "Wolfe's was the only sample we found under the body. We presumed this meet that he raped her before the others. The victim had rug burns on her thighs and buttocks. Our guess was that when Wolfe was done with the victim one of the other men dragged her across the carpeting and then sexually assaulted her."  
>"You can get rug burns just from being thrusted against carpeting." Jessica said.<p>

Stella looked at her surprised. "Really?" she asked as they exited the elevator.

"Yeah, watch. Come here Horatio." Jessica set her kit down and took Horatio's arm.

Horatio set down this kit also and followed his daughter. Jessica laid down on the ground and pulled Horatio on top of her between her legs. "Push against me." she instructed. Horatio pushed his hips against his daughter's and Stella watched as Jessica's body moved a few inches on the carpeting.

"Now thrust like you're having sex." Jessica told Horatio. Horatio did as he was told and thrusted his hips back and forth against Jessica's. Jessica's body began move back and forth along the carpeting in time with Horatio's thrusts. "If the person on top gets going fast enough and the person on bottom isn't wearing pants then their skin is going to drag across the carpeting, creating rug burns on the person's thighs."

Horatio stood up and pulled his daughter up from the floor. "Thank you Daddy."

Stella looked at them with a perplexed look on her face. "That wasn't awkward demonstrating with your father?"

Jessica shrugged her shoulders. "It would have been more awkward if I had used you."

Stella blushed a little. "Right, anyways. So someone thrusting against another could create the rug burns?"

"Yes, and if the burns were short and condensed then the person was being pushed against the carpeting in one area continuously. If the burns were long and more spaced apart then the person was dragged along the carpeting. Do you happen to know which the victim had?"

"No, not off the top of my head, but we can look at autopsy pictures." Stella responded.

Stella opened the door to the hotel room. The bitter smell of blood greeted them as it lingered in the room. Jessica walked right over to the area in the living room where the victim was found. There was the large blood pool with the void in the middle. Spots had been traced with permanent marker. One had the label 8-RW next to it. The other two had had 9-NA and 10-NA, meaning their origin was unknown.

Jessica pulled out her ALS and shined it on the carpeting. The spots labeled nine and ten shined with the same intensity and were located on the every edge of the blood pool at the base. The area had clearly been the space between the victim's legs. The spot labeled eight did not shine as bright as the other two and it was located in the space that would have the victim's shoulder blades and it did not exceed into the blood pool. Jessica turned her ALS towards the couch. Down the front a few spots shined the same dull color as the spot labeled eight.

Jessica turned off her ALS. "This is where Ryan and I have a little, uh, 'fun' one day." she said, "You can tell that these spots," Jessica turned her ALS back on and pointed it to the 8-RW spot on the ground, "Are older than these, because it doesn't shine as bright as the others." Jessica pointed at the 9-NA and 10-NA spots. "It's probably also been cleaned to some degree, and knowing Ryan he probably did it himself when I wasn't looking when we were done."

Stella stepped towards the blood pool. "I never knew that you could tell age of bodily fluids based off of how bright they shined."  
>"Yup," Jessica said, "And I can guarantee that there isn't a rapist or murderer in the world that's going to take the time to move a body, clean the carpeting where he ejaculated, and then replace the body. It takes too much time and most just want to get it done and get out. Which means even if Ryan did ejaculate here the same day as the other two men he would have had to clean the carpeting, which like I said no rapist or murderer would do that."<p>

"So that means that Ryan was not in this room at the time of the murder." Horatio said, "You didn't find any other evidence placing him here did you, Officer Bratcher?"

"No, that's the only evidence of him." Stella said, "We didn't find anything on the body or the other places we found evidence from the other men or anywhere in the suite at all. We thought it was strange that we only found semen in the one spot, but since we didn't have any other evidence with a lead we decided to bring him in."  
>"You mean arrested him for murder." Jessica retorted at her.<p>

"Jessie" Horatio said in a warning tone.

Jessica stepped back and began packing her ALS back into her kit.

"Can we go take a look at the body?" Jessica asked.

"Yeah, sure." Stella said, clearly offended by Jessica's statement.

* * *

><p>Ryan awoke to a loud banging noise on his cell door. He hadn't even realized he was sleeping. With nothing to do in solitary confinement Ryan slept a lot. Sometimes it was difficult to differentiate when he was awake and when he was sleeping.<p>

"Wake up Wolfe!" the guard yelled, "You've got another visitor!"

Ryan leapt from the bed and landed in front of the door. The guard opened the door and a woman Ryan didn't recognize was standing there.

"Hello Mr. Wolfe," she said, "My name is Stella Bratcher and I'm the head of the Big Pine City Crime Lab. I'm here to collect your ankle bracelet. We need it as evidence to prove you were actually in Miami at the time of the murder."  
>Ryan couldn't hide the disappointment on his face. "Yeah, ok." He held up his leg and Stella cut the bracelet off his ankle. Ryan walked back over to his bed and flopped back onto it. He covered his eyes with his arm and tried to fight back the tears he felt.<p>

"Your wife says hello." Stella gently said, "She misses you. She wanted to come and get the bracelet but I told her she couldn't. It's a conflict of interest. We shouldn't even be letting her work on the case, but I just couldn't let her stand by and watch her husband be convicted of murder."

Ryan lifted his arm and glanced at her. "You met Jessica?"

Stella nodded her head. "She's remarkably passionate and determined. She's also incredibly smart and an amazing investigator. She's already determined that the semen in the hotel from you is older than the other samples. She also discredited our theory of what happened."  
>"And that was?" Ryan prompted.<p>

"We figured you raped the victim first and then one of the other men dragged her to a different spot. Jessica determined that the rug burns on the thighs of our victim were caused from the movement that occurred as a result of the thrusting of her attacker." Stella looked at Ryan with bright green eyes, "As of right Mr. Wolfe you could be released tomorrow if this ankle bracelet provides data proving you were in Miami and you were not on the Big Pine Island when the victim was murdered."

Ryan's eyes lit up and he felt his spirit lift. "Can I see my gir- wife?"

Stella sighed. "I wish you could Mr. Wolfe, but since she's working on the investigation now it would be a conflict of interest for her to have a private visit with you."

Ryan sighed and placed his arm back over his eyes.

"However," Stella continued, Ryan perking up again, "We do need to have an interview with both you and Jessica together with Officer Gale."

"Really?" Ryan sat straight up in his bed.

Stella smiled at him. "Yes, I'll be back in about an hour to escort you back to the police station."

Stella walked out the door and the cell door slammed shut.

Ryan laid there on his bed. He could feel a sense of relief and anxiety wash over him. Ryan was excited to finally see Jessica again, but feared what Gale would do or say with them together. Ryan had already determined that he didn't like Gale; he seemed too vulgar for Ryan.

Ryan started day dreaming about Jessica. He felt his body respond but refused to amuse the guards that were watching the monitors in his cell. Ryan rolled onto his side, facing the wall, and started thinking about how their life would be different now that they were going to have a baby. Ryan smiled and felt a tear slide down his cheek. He was going to be a father. The thought brought joy and fear.

Ryan considered asking Jessica to marry him. They had almost made it to eight months, the longest relationship either of them had ever been in. Ryan loved Jessica and Jessica loved him; that much he knew. There was just something holding Ryan back though. Even though Ryan felt he already knew more about Jessica than anyone else he still believed there were some things he still needed to know before they got married.

Like who in the hell was Jessica's father that everyone seemed to know?

* * *

><p>Jessica sat in the interview room uncomfortably. She didn't like the stout bald man who seemed to sweat uncontrollably even though the air conditioning was freezing in the police department. She was at least glad that Gale had allowed Horatio to stay with her.<p>

They heard the door click. Jessica turned to see Ryan being lead in by a guard from the prison, still in his jumpsuit. They were followed closely by Stella and William. Ryan was seated next to Jessica at the table across from Gale. It took all of Jessica's self control not to pull Ryan into a jaw shattering kiss. She knew it would be a terrible idea and would cause a massive conflict.

"Mr. and Dr. Wolfe," Gale said, "I have some questions to ask both of you." Jessica felt her heart stutter at the sound of him calling her 'Dr. Wolfe.'

"Mr. Wolfe, your semen was found at the crime scene were Lisa Stephenson was discovered murdered." Gale began, "You claim that you weren't even on the island the day the victim was murdered, but how can that be if we found evidence of you being in a hotel room on Big Pine?"

"Because the semen your team found was old." Ryan said, "I came here last week for a forensic conference. While my _wife_ and I were here we had a bit of a crazy time when we were in our hotel suite, which happens to be the same suite the victim was found in."

Jessica could tell Ryan was feeling uncomfortable telling this strange man about their personal life, especially with Horatio in the room.

"What makes you think that semen survived a week in a hotel suite?" Gale asked.

"Well for starters it wasn't a week." Jessica interjected, "We left Sunday afternoon and the victim was found Tuesday morning. Semen can actually be detected for years if the surface hasn't been cleaned properly. I'm going to take a guess that the cleaning services only shampoo the carpeting in the suites once a month at most, with how many rooms the Marriott has. Even then, it still would have been detected because of the short time frame."

"Besides," Stella said, "We have substantial evidence that proves Mr. Wolfe here was not on the Big Pine Island the day the young woman would have been murdered."

Stella began placing print outs and pictures in front of Gale.

"This picture shows the difference in age in the semen stains on the carpeting. This is the one that was determined to be from Mr. Wolfe. 8-RW was determined to be a few days older than 9-NA and 10-NA because it didn't shine as brightly under an alternative light source."  
>Stella pointed to another picture of the victim's thighs and butt. "These rug burns were caused by the victim's body being rubbed continuously against the carpeting, rather than dragged as we had originally thought.<p>

"Also," Stella directed Gale's attention to another printout, "This shows Mr. Wolfe's exact location for the last four days. He and his wife received a death threat from a local gang, marking them for death. They were placed in protective services and given radio tracking bracelets that were designed to help locate them if they were kidnapped and ensure they stayed within the safe boundaries of their protective custody."

Gale looked over the many printouts and pictures. He dabbed at his sweaty forehead with a handkerchief. Jessica slowly slipped her hand over to Ryan's lap and grasped his hand. She slowly intertwined their fingers. Ryan looked at Jessica and gave her a small smile. Jessica examined Ryan's face; he was still pale and had dark circles under his eyes. Jessica carefully took her hand back and rested it back in her lap.

Gale looked at Jessica. "Dr. Wolfe, Mr. Hudson here provided me with a statement from Mr. Wolfe stating what sexual activities took place between the two of you within that suite. Would you be willing to verify the activities that took place in the living room what Mr. Wolfe claimed happen?"

Jessica smiled at him, making Gale feel uncomfortable. "Of course Officer Gale."

Ryan didn't miss Gale squirm in his chair at the sight of Jessica's creepy smile. He pulled out a typed document that had William's header on it.

Gale began reading. "Mr. Wolfe stated that several times during your stay you gave him a 'hand job.' On one occasion you did so on the couch in the living room. He stated you began with oral sex and when Mr. Wolfe felt he was going to ejaculate he stopped you. You then proceeded to 'finish' by manually stimulating him to the point of ejaculation. Mr. Wolfe indicated that his semen coated your hand and dripped onto the floor and the front of the couch.

"Is this correct, Dr. Wolfe?"

Jessica looked Gale straight in the eye. Ryan could see the man was intimidated by Jessica's stance and her deep blue eyes. "Yes, that's exactly what happened that day."

"You remember the events from that particular day?"

"Of course, how could I forget?" Jessica said slyly.

Gale's already red face seemed to deepen in color. "So you spilled Mr. Wolfe's semen on the carpeting after manually stimulating him?"

"Officer Gale," Jessica said, "Are you going to just keep asking me the same question in different ways? Because if so I'm going to just bring you up to par so we can get on with this interview. My husband and I did partake in sexual activities in the Marriott Hotel suite number 416. This did include me manually stimulating him to the point of ejaculation and me spilling his semen from my hand onto the carpeting while we were sitting on the couch in the living room." Jessica paused and sighed, "No offense but you would make a terrible lawyer Officer Gale."

Gale sat there stunned, unsure of what to say.

William chuckled. "Jessica," he said, "You always were just like your father."

"Adopted or biological?" Jessica asked.

"Adopted," William set his hand on her shoulder, "Oh so very much, but that's doesn't seem to be a bad thing. At least I don't see this as a problem."

Jessica smiled at him. "Thank you William."

Gale let out a hefty sigh. "Well then, I guess at this point we'll present this evidence to the judge and he'll give us a decision on whether to pursue this further or drop the charges. Mr. Wolfe, until the time a decision is made you will continue to be housed in the Big Pine County Jail."

Jessica felt her heart break and knew Ryan's was too at the thought of returning to the jail. The guard pulled Ryan from the chair. Jessica sat there and listened to them walk out of the room. When the door closed Jessica felt herself fall to pieces. She doubled over in her chair and began crying, burying her face in her hands. Horatio rushed to her side and held her close.

"It's ok Jessie Bug," he whispered, "Everything is going to work out. You're going to get Ryan back soon."  
>"I know Daddy." Jessica whispered back, "I know, it's just difficult."<p>

Gale interrupted their father-daughter moment at that time.

"Dr. Wolfe," he said, "I'm very sorry for all of this trouble. We just need to officially rule your husband out as a suspect. I understand what you're going through right now."  
>Jessica's eyes darkened right before Horatio's eyes. She slowly stood from her chair, Horatio releasing her from his grip. She placed her hand on the table and leaned forward across the table. She leaned in really close to Gale's face.<p>

"Why?" Jessica hissed, "Was your wife accused of murder and dragged away right before your eyes while you were at work and now you have to watch her suffer in solitary confinement?"

Gale's face went impossibly pale and he seemed to sweat more. He slowly shook his head no.

"Then you don't know what I'm going through." Jessica stood up. She grabbed Horatio's hand and Stella led them out the door.

Once the door to the interview room was closed William began laughing uncontrollably. He clapped Jessica on the back.

"I told you!" he declared, "Just like her damn father!"


	6. A free man again

A free man again

Horatio and Jessica walked into the Big Pine Island Courthouse the next morning. Stella had called them and requested they come in when the decision was made about Ryan's conviction.

Ryan was brought in, still chained and still dressed in the jumpsuit. He was set behind the defense table with William. Gale sat at the prosecutor's table with a state attorney. Horatio and Jessica sat behind the defense table with Stella.

After what seemed like hours the judge finally walked in. Judge John Nicholas was a tall, muscular man with lots of gray hair. He seemed to tower over the court room from his elevated seat. He skimmed over the case file that was already set in front of him. He then set it down and looked over at Gale.

"Alright Gale," Judge Nicholas said, "Who's life are you trying to unlawfully ruin now?"

Gale stood and looked at the Judge. "Your Honor, biological evidence from Mr. Ryan Wolfe here was found in the Marriott Hotel suite 416, where Lisa Stephenson was discovered dead four days ago. His semen was found in the exact location the body was found. We believe that he participated in the rape and murder of Lisa Stephenson."

Judge Nicholas sighed. "Is that all you got, Gale?" the judge snapped, "Because I've looked over the evidence and read the statements from Mr. Wolfe and his wife, and I've come to my own conclusion."

Gale's face deepened in shade and he began to sweat heavily.

Judge Nicholas rolled his eyes. "Gale why does it seem you always bring me these cases that are so minuscule?" Judge Nicholas replied angrily, "If I were your boss you would have been out the door years ago." The judge sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Upon reviewing the evidence myself, along with the statements made by Mr. Wolfe and Dr. Wolfe's analysis of the crime scene I have concluded that not only did your team get schooled on how to properly process a crime scene and evidence by Dr. Wolfe, but I do not see any substantial evidence that proves Mr. Wolfe was present at the time of the murder. Rather the semen found was present from the week before when Mr. and Dr. Wolfe stayed in the suite during a forensic conference, which you clearly should have attended yourself, Officer Gale.

"Mr. Wolfe is free to go. Bailiff, bring me a case that matters. Nothing from this idiot though."

Judge Nicholas banged his gavel, signaling the court session had ended.

Ryan was led out of the courtroom. Stella said he was being taken back to the jail to change and be released. She told Horatio he and Jessica could go and pick him up if they'd prefer, instead of the police bringing him to them.

Jessica realized she had been gripping Horatio's hand the whole time with bone shattering force. She loosened her grip and leaned her forehead against her father's arm and began to cry.

"What's wrong Bug?" Horatio asked.

"It's over." Jessica said, "It's finally over."

Horatio smiled and kissed the top of his daughter's head. "I know Bug, I know."

* * *

><p>Jessica walked down the hall of the jail accompanied by a guard a few hours later. At the other end of the hall she could see Ryan walking out of a room with another guard. He was now dressed in his suit that he wore the day he was arrested, but he still looked pale and nervous.<p>

"Ryan!" Jessica called out. Ryan turned and saw Jessica. His face light up with a sense of joy Jessica hadn't seen in him in the last three days. Ryan started running towards Jessica. She picked up her pace and then began running towards him.

Ryan encased Jessica within his arms and kissed her passionately. Jessica placed her hands on his face and felt his tears under her hands. Jessica pulled back finally and looked at Ryan.

"Oh Ryan," she said, wiping his tears away, "I was so worried. I was so afraid that you were going to-" Ryan silenced her with a kiss. "I don't want to hear anything more, because you brought me back to you and that's what matters." he whispered to her, "Without you I wouldn't be here right now."

When a guard finally placed a hand on each of their shoulders Ryan and Jessica knew it was time to go. Their fingers intertwined as they walked down the hall.

"So when do I get to meet this amazing father of yours that helped get me out of jail?" Ryan asked.

"Well you could meet him right now if you'd like." Jessica smiled.

The surprised look on Ryan's face was obvious. "Your father's here?"

Jessica nodded her head. "He came down just to help you and finally introduce himself."

They rounded the corner and the front desk came into view. Ryan could see Horatio standing at the desk writing something. He figured Horatio was signing release paperwork for him. Ryan looked around the room, trying to find someone that recognized Jessica when she walked into the room. He couldn't seem to see anyone that looked like they were waiting for them. Then the truth washed over Ryan in a suddenly realization.

Horatio turned and looked at Jessica and Ryan, a smile spreading across his face. His ocean blue eyes seemed to shine when he saw Jessica.

"Hey Jessie Bug," Ryan heard Horatio say, "I see they let you have him back."  
>"Yeah Daddy," Jessica said, "They did."<p>

Ryan could feel the color draining from his face and his palms grow sweaty.

"Oh, Mr. Wolfe," Horatio said, "I don't think we ever got a proper introduction." Horatio extended his hand. "I'm Jessica's father, Lieutenant Horatio Caine." Ryan slowly lifted his shaking hand and took his boss's. He shook it awkwardly and felt panic start to set in. "From what I hear Ryan," Horatio continued, releasing his hand, "You've made my daughter very happy. Happier than she has been in years." Ryan nodded his head slowly, trying to fight the urge to vomit.

"I also hear that you're the father of my grandchild." Horatio smiled at him. "Is that correct?"

Ryan knew he had to do something to rid himself of the fear he was feeling or he could very well pass out. "Well," he said, "It's either me or immaculate conception, which I've heard that only ever worked as a good excuse once in the history of the world." Ryan leaned in closer. "And people are still talking about that girl."

Horatio started laughing and Ryan felt himself ease up. Jessica laughed and pulled Ryan in for a kiss. She could feel how awkward he felt doing so in front of Horatio.

"Damn it Ryan!" she declared, "I've worried night and day for the past three days that you were going to be convicted of murder and you're freaking out because I want to kiss you in front of my father!"

"Well I'm sorry," Ryan retorted sarcastically, "I just learned I'm in love with my boss's daughter. Bit of a shock factor there!"

Jessica laughed at him and Ryan pulled her in for an earth shattering kiss. When they parted Jessica leaned in and whispered in his ear. "Please tell me that's just a preview for what's to come tonight."

"Oh there's something coming tonight." Ryan seductively whispered, "And it better be you."

Jessica giggled. "What you don't want to?"

Ryan hesitated for a moment. "Well it seems when I do it gets me in trouble. So I might just have to pass on that one."

They laughed together and kissed again.

Horatio walked up and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "Well if you two love birds don't mind I need to get going. I have dinner reservations at six o'clock and if we leave now we can make there on time."

Jessica jokingly sighed. "Alright Daddy, we'll wait until later to suck face." Horatio smiled at his daughter and hugged her.

For the first time Ryan noticed their eyes were the exact same ocean blue color. He wasn't sure how he had never noticed this before.

* * *

><p>They climbed into the Miami Dade helicopter that was waiting for them. Jessica jumped in first, forcing Ryan to sit between her and Horatio. Ryan tried to remain calm about the whole situation, but the fact that he was flying and just discovered he was dating his boss's daughter didn't seem to help his nerves. Jessica took his hand and held it in both of her own.<p>

"Relax," she said over their headsets, "Horatio's known for awhile. I accidentally slipped up and said your name the day I told him I was pregnant. From what I know he's ok with us."

"Maybe not entirely." Horatio said into his headset, "I trust you Mr. Wolfe, but that's my only daughter's heart that you've won over." Horatio looked at Ryan, his blue eyes penetrating his soul, "Don't you dare hurt her."  
>Ryan gave Horatio a weak smile. "H, I could never do that. Jessica's become my life. I love her so much and I would do anything for her."<p>

"Anything?" Horatio asked, with a lift of his brows.

"Anything." Ryan reaffirmed.

"Leave her." Horatio said, "Leave my daughter. Go find a job somewhere else. Get out of her life. Never contact her or my grandchild again."

Ryan sat there staring at Horatio, a stabbing pain in his heart. Ryan couldn't believe but he had just heard. After Horatio fought so hard for his freedom he was ordering Ryan to leave Jessica. Ryan knew there was only one thing he could do with a demand like that.

Ryan turned to Jessica and kissed her. "I'm sorry love." he said.

"Ryan no" Jessica said, tears forming in her eyes, "Daddy please don't…."

Ryan looked back at Horatio. "When we get back to the lab I'll get my stuff and leave."

Horatio didn't miss the pain in Ryan's voice, even through the headset. He could see his daughter crying uncontrollably and heard her painfully sobs in his ear. Horatio watched as Ryan blinked back tears.

"Good, but you don't have to." Horatio said. Ryan looked at him surprised. "I just wanted to see what your reaction would be if I told you to leave her, if you really would do anything for her." Horatio placed his hand on Ryan's shoulder. "You really would do anything for my daughter, despite what I tell you. You have changed Ryan Wolfe." Horatio smiled at him. "And I'm proud to say you're the father of my grandchild. You can stay with Jessica."

Ryan breathed a sigh of relief and felt the tears he had been holding back slowly slide down his cheek. He brushed them away and leaned forward with his head in his hands. Ryan could still hear Jessica's small sobs through his headset. He leaned back and took her hand in his own. Ryan gave her a small smile and she attempted to return it.

"I love you." He said to her. Jessica choked out "I love you, too" through her tears.

Ryan kissed her softly. "You really are just like your father."

Jessica choked out a small laugh and looked at him. Her blue eyes seemed to shine more than ever.

About half an hour later of pure silence their helicopter landed. Horatio jumped out first and gave Ryan his hand to help him down. Jessica practically leapt from the helicopter and rushed right over to Horatio. She started pounding her fist against his chest.

"You bastard!" she screamed, "Why would you do that to me!" She stopped hitting her father and sank to the ground. Horatio knelt down and held her in his arms.

"I'm sorry Bug," Horatio said, "I didn't realize it would upset you this much."

"Why wouldn't it!" she sobbed, "You know I love Ryan and I've told you before he would never hurt me! Why would you tell him to leave?"

Jessica continued to cry in Horatio's arms for a few minutes. She finally recomposed herself and stood up.

"I'm sorry," she said, helping Horatio to his feet, "I didn't mean what I said."

Horatio looked at his daughter. "But I did. I would never really tell Ryan to leave you. I know you love each other very much. It was a test to see if he would actually agree to leave. I should have thought of something else. I'm sorry Bug. I love you." Horatio pulled Jessica in for a hug and kissed the top of her head.

Horatio pulled his daughter back and looked at her. "Being pregnant and all the stress you've been through the last week has really taken a toll on you, hasn't it Jess?"

Jessica nodded her head and wiped the remaining tears from her face.

Horatio smiled at her. "Come, let's go." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and grabbed his suitcase. Jessica picked up her suitcase. They started to walk away. Horatio stopped and turned to Ryan.

"Are you coming Mr. Wolfe or are you just going to stand there and guard our kits on top of the roof all day?"

Ryan snapped back to reality and grabbed Horatio and Jessica's kits. He rushed over to them and they walked into the crime lab together.

They didn't see a single person from their shift as they dropped off the kits in Horatio's office. Horatio led them down stairs to his car. He placed both suitcases in the trunk before opening the door for Jessica. She climbed into the backseat and laid her head against the window. She didn't want to fall asleep but she was so tired. She battled against the exhaustion.

Horatio walked to the driver's side and paused when he saw Ryan still standing there.

"Are you going to get in or are you walking Mr. Wolfe?" Horatio asked.

Ryan hastily climbed into the front passenger seat. He still felt anxious and jumpy.

"Being in jail took quite the toll on you, didn't it Ryan?" Horatio asked, starting his car.

"Yeah, it sure did." Ryan said.

"It does." Jessica whispered. Ryan turned to see her staring out the window, head still against the glass. "It's not an easy place to be, and sometimes it feels like you still have to watch your every move, even after you've been out for years."

"Jess?" Ryan said.

His thought was interrupted by his cell phone ringing. It scared Ryan after not hearing it for three days. He looked at the screen to see Eric's number flashing.

"Uh, Wolfe" Ryan answered.

"Did you forget your name while you were in the brink?" Eric laughed.

Ryan scoffed. "No, I know exactly who I am, asshole."

"Are you guys back in town yet?" Eric asked.

"Yeah."  
>"Well tell H to hurry up! We're hungry and I bet you're looking forward to eating something that isn't being shoved through a hole in the wall to you." Eric hung up and Ryan was left sitting there confused. He looked at Horatio.<p>

"You're not taking us home, are you, H?" he asked.

Horatio smiled. "I see some time behind bars has helped your investigative skills, Mr. Wolfe." as he pulled into the restaurant parking lot.

Ryan got out of the car and opened the door for Jessica. He held her hand and kissed her.

"I missed this so much." he said, "Just being able to hold you and feel you in my arms."

They walked into the restaurant and found the rest of the team waiting for them at a long table. Alexx was sitting at the end and everyone else sat along the side. There were four seats open, but Calleigh was standing next to Alexx talking. When the three approached the table Calleigh rushed back to one of the empty seats.

"You can't sit here slick!" she said to Ryan, "We all know now so there's no more trying to hide it! Alexx has been telling us all about you guys!"

The last three seats were opposite Alexx's. One was the very end of the table and the other two were next to each other at the same end. Ryan pulled out the chair next to the end one for Jessica but she slipped into the other.

"Sorry," she said, clearly not apologetic, "You have to sit next to Daddy H." She gave him a sly smile and he playfully glared at her. Ryan sat in his chair and Horatio took the chair at the end of the table.

The waitress walked up to their table and began taking everyone's drink orders. Ryan paused when she got to him.

"I'll have a Long Island." Ryan said.

Erica laughed. "Geez, get out of jail and start hitting the booze. You really have become a convict, haven't you Ryan?"

"Hey," Ryan said, "After the week I've had I need a drink. I received a threat from a gang, marking me for death, I had to go into protective services, I've been locked up inside, not permitted to go anywhere but work and the safe house, I was arrested for a murder I had nothing to do with, I've spent the last three days in jail in solitary confinement, and I just found out that the woman I'm in love with is the daughter of my boss. I think I deserve a drink."

"You're not the only one." Jessica said.

"Oh no you don't!" Ryan said to her, "Nothing for you!"

Jessica scoffed at him. "What haven't you ever heard the saying that starting them young builds up their tolerance faster?"

"Not this young!" Ryan said. He placed his hand on her belly and he leaned in and kissed her.

Once again it was Calleigh that made the connection faster than anyone else.

"Oh my gosh Jessica, are you pregnant?"

Jessica felted an excited smile overcome her face. She looked at her friend and nodded her head.

"Ahhhh! Congratulations!" Calleigh was suddenly at her side, hugging her.

"Holy crap, Ryan, you didn't tell me you knocked her up, too!" Eric joked, "Congratulations man!"

"Well I didn't even know until after you left Sunday." Ryan smiled, "That's actually how my week started. I was hoping it was a sign it was going to be a good week, but it seemed to go downhill from there."

"Man I feel so out of the loop!" Walter declared, "I had no clue there was anything going on here!"

"Hey don't worry Walter," Jesse said, "Neither did I."

"No one told me anything either!" Calleigh said, "Eric knew about Ryan and Jessica's relationship, Natalia knew about their relationship and the baby, Tom and Frank knew Jessica is Horatio's daughter, and from what Frank's told us he found out the hard way that Ryan and Jessica are dating because of his protective services. It seems the only one who knew exactly what was going on the whole time was Alexx…and H of course."

"So you're finally going to have a grandchild Horatio." Tom said, changing the subject.

Horatio smiled. "Yeah, I guess I am."

"Good," Alexx said, "Then maybe you can get some experience with babies. Every freakin child you've had come into your life was a teenager; Kyle, Jessie Bug….Izzy I guess if you count her separate."  
>Horatio's eyes seemed to glaze over. "Yeah, actually I do. She was a different person Alexx."<p>

"Izzy?" Natalia questioned, "Whose Izzy?"

The waitress arrived back with their drinks and the confusion of trying to figure out drinks quickly changed the subject.

"So are all of these separate checks or is one person dropping the big bucks tonight?" the waitress asked.

"Separate." A choir of investigators declared.

"Except us," Jessica said, raising her hand to get the waitress's attention, "We're together."  
>"Yeah they are!" Jesse cracked.<p>

"Actually miss," Horatio said, "Can you put their meals on my bill?" indicating Jessica and Ryan.

"Horatio," Jessica said, "You don't have to do that."

"No, tonight is my treat for the proud parents." Horatio said with a wink, taking a drink of his water.

"Fine, but I'm leaving the tip for the three of us." Jessica insisted.

"Nope, none of your money here." Horatio said.

"What are you going to do if I do? Ground me?" Jessica said sarcastically.

"Maybe," Horatio said, "I won't allow you to leave your room for a week."  
>Jessica slipped her hand into Ryan's and intertwined their fingers on top of the table. "That's ok," she said seductively, "I'm sure I can find something to do."<p>

Ryan felt himself blush and he looked down at the table. Everyone started laughing and Ryan eased up a bit.

The dinner party continued on. The team enjoyed their food and the company of their second family. When everyone was almost done, Horatio raised his glass.

"I propose a toast." he said, "To family and teamwork."  
>The team raised their glasses and clicked all around. They drank and toasted to their good friendship.<p>

* * *

><p>Horatio drove Ryan and Jessica back to Jessica's condo. He parked his car and pulled Jessica's suitcase from the trunk. Ryan got out and opened Jessica's door.<p>

"H," Ryan said, "Why are we here? I thought we were supposed to go back to the safe house."

"Well after discussing the matter with Frank he agreed to allow you to stay at home tonight." Horatio explained, "With all the stress you've had to deal with we figured the two of you would like a little more privacy and the comfort of your bed." Horatio smirked, hiding a laugh, "That and the fact that I think Frank is tired of hearing you and Jessica and would enjoy the silence another night."  
>Ryan chuckled uncomfortably at his boss's joke.<p>

"There will be patrol units stationed within the complex though and there are cameras monitoring the balcony." Horatio told them.

Ryan helped Jessica from the car. She was practically asleep in his arms.

"You ok, Jess?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, I'm just…...really tired…." Jessica said, leanly into Ryan.

Ryan smiled and lifted her into his arms. He began walking but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Ryan turned to see Horatio looking at him. "Ryan, could I please?"

Ryan smiled and nodded. "Sure, H, anything for you." Ryan handed Jessica to him and Horatio just stood there for a moment holding her.

"One of the last times I carried Jess like this she was dying." Horatio quietly said, "It was then that I knew I had to save her because she wasn't just my Goddaughter anymore, she was really my child." Horatio looked at Ryan with his big blue eyes. "One of the greatest things in this world Ryan is to be able to hold your child. Please Ryan, don't hurt my daughter. She's had a rough life and she needs you."

Ryan looked at Horatio, hazel meeting ocean blue. "Of course Horatio, I love Jessica and I would never hurt her. I promise you that. I need her just as much as she needs me."

Ryan followed Horatio upstairs to Jessica's condo. Ryan opened the door and set the suitcase in the living room.  
>"Ryan, can you carry her upstairs?" Horatio asked, "I'm quite as young as I used to be."<br>"Come on H, you're not old." Ryan joked.

"You better hand me off." Jessica muttered, "Don't want you fucking dropping me old man."

"Hey young lady, that is not how you talk to your father." Horatio jokingly retorted.

"Phft," Jessica scoffed, "What are you going to do, take back the kidney?" Jessica's eyes lolled open and she looked at her father with a smile on her face. "I love you Daddy."

Horatio leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I love you, too, Jessie Bug."

Horatio looked back at Ryan. "Mr. Wolfe, I'm watching you. One wrong move and it'll be your last." Horatio said to Ryan.

Ryan nervously nodded his head. "You got it boss."

Horatio smiled at him. "I'll see you at work tomorrow. And no going anywhere tonight!" And with that he walked out the door.

Ryan carried Jessica upstairs and placed her in the bed. He pulled her shoes off and tossed them to the floor. He pulled the blanket over her and watched her settle into bed.

Ryan changed out of his suit and set it aside to take to the dry cleaners. It still smelled like the jail and he wanted to rid everything of that scent. He climbed into bed with Jessica in just his boxers and a t-shirt. Ryan pulled Jessica close and felt her cuddle against him. Then he felt a slender hand work its way into his boxers. Ryan moaned softly, as he felt himself grow hard.

"Jess" he said breathlessly. He was silenced as Jessica's soft lips captured his.

"You didn't meet anyone nice in jail did you?" Jessica teased.

"No, I was in solitary confinement, remember?"

"Oh that's right. Did you have fun with the Cyclops?"

Ryan chuckled. "No, there were cameras watching me all the time. I was barely able to shit in that place."

Jessica smiled against his lips. "Let's make love." She said, pulling his boxers off and freeing his erection.

"Oh, is that what you were insinuating? I would have never guessed." Ryan opened his eyes finally to see Jessica's big blue ones staring back at him. "Sounds like a great idea."

"Good, but I get to be on bottom this time." Jessica said, rolling onto her back, "I don't want to literally fall asleep on you."

"What, are you saying I'm boring?" Ryan asked, reaching into the nightstand. He pulled out two bottles of lube and decided upon the warming sensations one.

"No, I'm saying I'm pregnant with your bastard and it's exhausting me and I can't drink coffee. Geez you're dumb." Jessica explained waiting as Ryan slicked himself up.  
>"Keep talking like that and maybe I won't make love to you." Ryan said, pulling her panties off.<p>

"Oh, but I want to, and we don't have Frank here judging us this time."

Ryan laughed as he crawled on top of Jessica and slowly slipped inside her.


	7. Meeting of the lions

Meeting of the lions

Horatio found his daughter walking through the halls of the crime lab.

"Hey Bug," he said matching her stride, "How's it going?"

"I'm locked up in the lab and no one's letting me out except to go home. I'm currently trying to avoid being killed by a gang and trying to keep my boyfriend safe, too. On top of that I'm pregnant and I've been itching for coffee that I haven't been able to drink for the last two months and I have to pee all the time." she said, "How do you think it's going?"

Horatio chuckled. "I'm sorry Bug, I wish I could let you out, but it's for your safety."

Jessica groaned. "I know! I just wish I could go to one scene!" she whined.

They walked into the lab where Ryan was examining some bones.

"Hey Ry," Jessica said, "You got any bones for me?"

Ryan smiled an evil smirk, not bothering to look up from his work. "Only the one in my pants."

"Well Mr. Wolfe," Horatio said, causing Ryan to jump, "I don't believe that's a department certified holding place for evidence."  
>Ryan's face burned red. He hadn't realized that Horatio was with Jessica. "Uh, I'm uh sorry about that boss."<p>

Horatio laughed at Ryan's discomfort. "It's alright Mr. Wolfe. Maybe my daughter can help you remove that bone later." Horatio raised his eyebrows at Ryan suggestively. Ryan flushed an even deeper shade of red and was sure his head was going to explode from the pressure.

Jessica slapped Horatio's arm. "Daddy, be nice! Look what you've done to poor Ryan!"

"Well I thought my suggestion was a very good idea." Horatio smiled at his daughter.

Jessica rolled her eyes. "You're so naughty sometimes."

"I guess that's where you get it from." Ryan quietly said, returning to his work. Horatio and Jessica burst out in laughter at Ryan's comment, putting Ryan at ease a bit.

Horatio's phone rang and he answered it. "Caine; oh hello Rick. Yes I'm with them right now. You what?" Horatio listened intensely. "Ok, where? How about my office? Alright we'll see you in a few minutes. Bye." Horatio hung up his phone and looked at Jessica and Ryan.

"That was Rick Stetler." he said, "He wants the three of us to meet him in my office in five minutes. He wants to discuss some things with the two of you."

"Oh god," Jessica said, "He wants to talk about our relationship, doesn't he?" Jessica suddenly felt sick and was becoming quite nervous.

"Don't worry Bug," Horatio said, "No one is leaving this department, not on my watch. Come on, we need to get to my office before Stetler does."

They walked back towards Horatio's office. Ryan tried to comfort Jessica the best he could by rubbing her shoulder. Horatio racked his brain trying to think of what to say. When they arrived at Horatio's office Stetler was no where to be seen. Horatio corralled Jessica and Ryan in and shut the door.

"Listen to me." Horatio said, "You two were high school sweethearts but I wouldn't allow it since Jessica was so young back then. Neither of you realized the other was working here until Jessica started back in August. Since then you've rekindled the relationship and you're now engaged and you don't know when the wedding is going to be." Horatio glanced at Jessica for a moment. "And the baby wasn't planned. If Stetler doesn't ask about it don't bring it up. If he doesn't know then maybe he won't harsh you about it."

Jessica looked at her father with her blue eyes wide with confusion. "You want us to lie to Stetler? Won't that get us in more trouble?"

Horatio shook his head. "Stetler is an ignorant, pig-headed man. He doesn't deserve the truth."

"But Jessica and I didn't go to high school together." Ryan said.

"Stetler doesn't know that. Jessica's in the witness protection program so a lot of her records have been altered."

"What about the age difference?" Ryan asked, knowing Stetler would question the fact that Ryan was thirty-two and Jessica was twenty-seven.

"Jessica really did graduate high school when she was fifteen. She was eleven years old when she started, which means you were sixteen when you met her Ryan. You secretly dated on and off for two years behind my back."  
>"But you weren't my father-" Jessica started to say. She was interrupted when Stetler appeared in the doorway.<p>

"Hello Mr. Wolfe, Dr. Stone." Stetler said.

"Caine." Jessica said.

Stetler gave her a confused look. "What?"

"Caine, my last name is Stone-Caine." Jessica corrected him.

Stetler scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, Stone-Caine."  
>"Excuse me Rick," Horatio said, "But I believe you wanted to meet with us to discuss some other matters, not insult my <em>daughter<em>."

Stetler gave Horatio a dirty look. "Shall we sit?"

Horatio sat at his desk, while Jessica sat in one of the chairs in front of Horatio's desk, pulling Ryan into the other, forcing Stetler to stand. Stetler stood next to Horatio's desk and looked at Jessica and Ryan.

"Now Mr. Wolfe," Stetler began, "You've been working here for what, four years?"

"Six" Ryan corrected him grumpily.

Stetler smirked. "Well then by now you should know the rules about interdepartmental relationships." He glared at Ryan.

Ryan reluctantly nodded his head.

"And you must know the rules about subordinate-supervisor relationships and the policy on dating that we've set out."

"Rick, do me a favor." Horatio said, "Stop dragging this out. Ryan and Jessica are aware of the fact that you want to talk to them about their relationship. They understand the extent of what they've done and what rules they have broken."

Stetler smiled his evil smirk at Horatio. "Well it seems daddy is coming in to save his little girl again. This wouldn't be the first time you pulled strings to save your daughter after she broke the rules, now would it Caine?"

"Rick that has nothing to do with this situation, besides that wasn't Jessica and I didn't pull any strings or break any rules."

"You still believe that this girl is a different person from who she used to be, don't you?"

Horatio stood from his desk and leaned in close to Stetler's face. "They were both my daughters and I miss Izzy everyday. Do you know what it's like Stetler to wake up every morning knowing that you're never going to see your child again? It kills me. I'll never see that little girl again with her blonde curls and green eyes. She's gone and I can't bring her back."

Stetler stepped back away from Horatio. "You're such a squander, Caine." Stetler straightened up and continued on with his lecture.

"Well Mr. Wolfe, Dr. Stone-_Caine_, since you both understand why we're here please tell me why you chose to break the rules even though you knew what you were doing was wrong."

"There's nothing wrong with what we've done." Ryan said snidely, "I love Jessica. You do know what that is right Stetler?"

"Wolfe she is your intern and you are her supervisor. The department rules specifically say you cannot date her despite what you believe! Besides, I think it takes longer than eight months to fall in love with someone."

"Too bad we've known each other longer than that." Ryan said.

Stetler turned on his heels and looked directly at Ryan. "Are you saying you've met before?"

"Yes," Ryan said, "Sixteen years ago in high school. Jessica stole my heart then just as she has now."  
>Stetler laughed. "Wolfe that's not possible, there's a five year age difference between you two. Stone here would have still been in grade school when you were in high school."<br>"Except my daughter graduated from high school when she was fifteen." Horatio said.

Stetler looked at Horatio in disbelief. "Fifteen? She was fifteen when she graduated?"

Horatio nodded his head. "The youngest the school's ever seen."

Stetler scoffed. "Well their records also stated that Stone and Wolfe attended different high schools. What about that?"

"Most of Jessica's records were changed when she went into the witness protection program. She had to change completely who she was and leave her past behind." Horatio said, sitting back in his chair. "You probably won't be able to find record of a Jessica Stone-Caine at any high school in the country."

Stetler stood there looking at Horatio. "What are you trying to do, Caine?"

"I'm not trying anything Stetler. My daughter is well aware of the rules she's broken, but I see nothing wrong with it. Ryan and Jessica found each other again after so many years and decided they wanted to rekindle their relationship. Jessica told me and I approved of it."  
>"Then why didn't you tell me?" Stetler asked.<p>

Horatio leaned forward in his chair. "What business is it to you who my daughter marries?"

The color drained from Stetler's face as he froze in place. "Marries? You mean Wolfe and Stone are married?"

"Well, not yet. Ryan came to me and asked for my permission to marry Jessica about two months ago. I told him he had to wait until after she graduates to marry her but he could propose." Horatio said with a smug smile on his face.

Stetler turned and looked at Ryan and Jessica. Jessica tentatively held up her left hand. The light danced off the pink stone on her hand and reflected onto Stetler's face. Stetler's face flushed with anger.

"And if I'm correct Stetler as long as they're engaged there's nothing wrong with their relationship." Horatio said, "So really there was no purpose to us having this meeting, other than for you to harass my daughter and new son-in-law. So if you don't mind we have an investigation to get back to. We've lost valuable time here that could very well result in a killer still wandering around the city." Horatio stood from his chair and walked towards the door. He opened it and waited for Stetler to leave. As he walked out the door Stetler turned to Horatio.

"I had better receive an invitation to this wedding." he snarled at Horatio.

"Sorry Rick, but this wedding is reversed for family and _friends_ only." Horatio gave him a smug look as Stetler walked out of his office. Horatio shut the door a little too forcefully behind him.

Jessica jumped from her chair and ran to Horatio. "Oh Daddy! Thank you so much!"

Horatio held her close and kissed the top of her head. "Anything for my little Jessie Bug."

"Thank you Horatio." Ryan said, walking towards him. "You didn't have to do this for us."

"Well Mr. Wolfe," Horatio said, "You seemed to have changed my daughter's life. You're willing to risk your job to be with her then I guess you really do care about her."  
>Ryan smiled at Horatio. "Thank you H. This means so much to me."<p>

"Which reminds me," Jessica said, "Where did you get that marriage certificate?"

Horatio smiled and walked over to his desk. He pulled out several pieces of paper. Jessica picked up one and read over it. "This is your marriage certificate with Marisol." she said.

"Yes, I copied it and then printed out the information I needed for you and Ryan." Horatio explained, "I pasted your information along the new date and time over mine and then copied it again. I called Judge Iddings and told him what I was doing and he said he would back up my story if anyone questioned it, and he would be sure to give them hell about it."  
>Jessica couldn't help but laugh. "I can't believe you did this for us." Jessica sighed, "Well I guess I'll have to change all my records back to Stone-Caine." She jokingly said.<p>

Horatio smiled at his daughter. "You know I would do anything for you, Bug."


	8. Bang, bang, you're dead

Bang, bang, you're dead

Jessica and Ryan entered the lab and walked up to the front desk.

"Please Ryan!" Jessica begged, "Just let me have one drink!" She grabbed towards his coffee cup but Ryan pulled away.

"Nope, you know the rules, no caffeine until after the baby's born." Ryan smirked when Jessica groaned.

"But I need it!" Jessica whined.

"Mr. Wolfe," Horatio said as he approached them, "You aren't hurting my daughter, are you?"

Ryan felt his self go rigid. "No, I just bought some coffee this morning and she's begging me for some, even though she knows she can't have it while she's pregnant."

"Well that sounds like torture to me." Horatio said. He grabbed the cup from Ryan's hand and began drinking it. "You have good taste Mr. Wolfe." Horatio smirked at him.

Ryan sighed at the loss of his coffee and handed the pen to Jessica.

"Damn lefty," Jessica said, "Can't you ever hand things to me with your right hand?"

"Hey, now you know how I feel when everyone hands me stuff with the opposite hand I write with." Ryan teased.

Walter and Jesse walked up to the desk. "Hey H, what are we doing today?" Walter asked.

"Well we have a double homicide and a murder-suicide. Ryan and I will take the double homicide and Jesse and Jessica can take the murder-suicide."  
>"What about me?" Walter asked.<p>

"You Walter get to find out where Ryan bought this coffee because it's delicious." Horatio said.

At that moment the elevator doors opened and gun shots began to ring out in the hall. Panic ensued as staff members ran for shelter and police officers drew their guns. Horatio, Walter, and Jesse drew their guns looked around for the shooter. Ryan grabbed Jessica and tried to run with her. When Ryan saw the shooter exit the elevator he pushed Jessica against the wall along the floor and covered her with his body.

The man was around Jessica's age. He was white with his head shaved bald. He wasn't wearing a shirt and the heart tattooed on his chest was in full display. It was a bleeding heart with a knife stabbed into it with a crown around the hilt.

"Izzy!" he yelled, "Where are you Izzy?" He had stopped shooting and was looking around the room. Jessica wriggled beneath Ryan, trying to pull free, but Ryan kept her pinned where they knelt on the ground. There were others around them and Ryan only hoped this man wouldn't be able to see Jessica.

Horatio advanced forward. "No one here goes by the name of Izzy." he said to the shooter.

The gunman laughed. "Please Lieutenant we both know Izzy's here right now."

"No, Izzy's been dead for almost fourteen years. I saw her body myself. I held her in my arms as she left this world."

"You're so full of shit Horatio." the gunman said, "You've been living a lie and forcing your daughter to do so, too. You're probably the worse father ever."

The gunman raised his gun, but before he could pull the trigger Horatio shot him in the stomach. The man recoiled under the pain. He looked at the blood now pouring from his abdomen. He raised his gun again. Horatio went to shoot again but his gun jammed. Panic overcame him as he thought back to all the times he had witnessed this before.

Suddenly Horatio hit the ground on his stomach hard, something heavy on top of him. He had heard the gun fire but he was lost as the wind was knocked out of him. He heard Walter scream and Jesse yell Walter's name. Horatio realized it was the large CSI that was on top of him. Walter was only supporting himself with his left arm while trying not to crush Horatio.

Walter watched as the gunman fired at his boss whose gun had jammed. He dove for Horatio as a shearing pain ripped through his right shoulder. Walter couldn't move his arm and he could see the blood dripping onto the back of his boss's jacket. Walter gasped for air, fighting off the pain.

Jessica watched as her father struggled with his gun. She feared she would loose her father again to a jammed gun. She struggled against Ryan but he pushed harder against him. Walter grabbed Horatio and threw him to the ground as the gunman fired again. Walter screamed and Jessica could see the blood. Jesse fired at the man but the gunman started firing wildly and Jesse dove behind a desk.

Jessica heard Ryan cry out and could feel something warm and liquidy running onto her neck.

"Ryan!" she cried.  
>"Don't worry Jess," Ryan gasped, "I'm fine." He pushed her further into the wall.<p>

Jessica reached for her gun but it wasn't there. She looked around and could see it about five feet from her. It must have fallen out of its holster when Ryan pushed her against the wall. Then Jessica had an idea. She reached around Ryan and quickly found his gun. She held it in her left hand and aimed at the man. She fired once and small a small hole appear in the wall. Jessica fired again.

A bullet hole appeared in the middle of the man's forehead and he dropped to the ground. Everyone froze for a moment, unsure of whether he was really dead. Jesse rose and walked over to the man. He kicked the gun away from his hand and knelt beside the man. He checked his pulse. "He's dead" Jesse said.

Several officers rushed over to Walter and Horatio. They helped the extremely tall CSI up and had him sit on the floor against the receptionist desk. Horatio looked at the young CSI.

"Walter, are you alright?" Horatio asked, knowing the question was redundant.

"Yeah," Walter said, "I think he hit my shoulder."

One of the officers had already called for an ambulance and another was assessing Walter's injuries. "It looks like he didn't hit any major arties but I think you're going to be in a lot of pain and a sling for awhile Mr. Simmons." The officer said.

"That's alright." Walter said, "Are you ok H?"

"Yes, I'm fine Walter. Thank you, you didn't have to do that."  
>Walter smiled. "I couldn't stand there and watch you get shot."<p>

"Jesse," Horatio said, turning his attention to the other man, "Who fired the kill shot?"

Jesse shrugged his shoulders. "It wasn't me and I couldn't see anything from where I was shielded. He couldn't have shot himself so it was someone in the lab."  
>"It was me."<p>

Horatio and Jesse turned and looked in the direction of the voice. They saw Ryan with blood running down his shoulder. Something was beneath him against the wall. They watched as Jessica stood up and helped Ryan to his feet.

"Are you ok Ryan?" she asked, looking at his shoulder.

"Yeah, the bullet only grazed me." Ryan replied, pulling his shirt sleeve up to revel the burn on his upper left arm. Jessica lightly touched his arm with her right hand.

"I'm so sorry." she whispered.

He kissed her forehead. "As long as you're safe everything's fine. It'll heal."

Horatio looked at his daughter and the young man. "Ryan," he said, "Did you cover Jessica the whole time?"

Ryan nodded, rolling his sleeve back down. "I saw the Crip Kings' tattoo and knew he was here for us. I had to make sure Jessica was safe."

Horatio looked at him and place his hand on Ryan's good shoulder. "You really would do anything for her. Even take a bullet."

Horatio turned his attention to Jessica. "I see your reputation as a one shot killer still holds true, Jess…or was that your mother?"

Jessica looked at her father. "Well it was two shots this time. The first one missed but I got him the second time." Jessica held up the gun in her left hand. "I would have got him the first time if it hadn't been for this damn lefty."

Horatio chuckled. "Well that lefty probably saved your life." He looked longingly into his daughter's eyes. "And I'm glad you chose him, Bug. I wouldn't be able to loose you again."

Horatio pulled Jessica into his arms and kissed the top of her head.

"Horatio," Jesse said, "I think you need to come take a look at this."  
>Jesse was standing by the gunman's body. He had on a pair of latex gloves and was holding the man's left arm. Craved into the skin was the name 'Horatio.'<p>

"What does this mean?" Jesse asked.

"It means the shooter's target wasn't Ryan and me." Jessica answered, "It was Horatio."

* * *

><p>Alexx walked through the halls of the hospital. She had heard there was a call from the Miami Dade Crime Lab and there were four incoming victims as a result of a shooting.<p>

The first one Alexx encountered was Walter, the new CSI that had been hired a year or so after she left the crime lab. Walter had been shot in the right shoulder.

"Hey Walter," Alexx said to him, "How are you feeling?"

"Sore." The doctors had successfully removed the bullet from Walter's shoulder, but it had shattered part of his shoulder socket. They said Walter would probably need surgery if the socket didn't heal properly on its own and he would have at least six weeks of physical therapy after the sling was removed.

Alexx smiled at him. "Well you'll feel better soon enough honey."

Alexx continued her way and found the next room. Horatio, Ryan, and Jessica were all sitting in the room together. Another doctor was working on Ryan's upper arm where a bullet had grazed him.

"Well baby, what happened to you?" Alexx asked.

Ryan looked at her. "A bullet just barely missed me but it still got me."  
>"It's mostly a burn from the heat of the bullet," the doctor said, "But it's going to take awhile to heal. Be careful using this arm, it's going to hurt for a few days."<p>

"Great and it's my left arm." Ryan said sarcastically.

"Should have learned to write with the other hand." Jessica teased. Alexx could see Jessica had a cut on her lip and a large bruise forming on her left hand between her thumb and forefinger.

"And why are you here with Daddy H baby girl?" Alexx asked.

"Ryan slammed me against the wall and the paramedics said it would be a good idea to get checked out, just to make sure the baby's ok." Jessica explained.

A smile lit up Alexx's face. "Does that mean you finally told dopey here that he's going to be a daddy?"

Ryan smiled an ear to ear grin. "Yes! And I'm so excited!" Ryan flinched when the doctor applied some burn ointment.

"Have they checked you out yet?" Alexx asked Jessica.

Jessica shook her head. "No, I wanted to wait for Ryan." Jessica smiled, "He hasn't seen the baby yet and they want to do an ultrasound."

"Can you feel her moving yet?" Alexx asked.

"Oh my god! I almost forgot!" Jessica jumped up and ran to Ryan. She placed his hand on her belly. "You can barely feel it but she's moving right now."

Ryan sat there for a moment quietly, as if he was trying to listen to the baby. Then his face lit up and he looked down where his hand rested on Jessica's abdomen. "Wow, that's…that's…." Ryan wasn't able to finish his sentence as he tried to hide the fact he was near tears.

"Incredible?" Jessica finished for him. Ryan nodded his head and kissed Jessica's cheek.

"Well if she's moving that's a good sign, but you'll still want to have the ultrasound tech check her out." Alexx turned her attention to Horatio. "And why are you here young man?"

"Walter covered me." Horatio explained, "He pushed me to the ground. I hit pretty hard so the EMTs suggested that I get checked out, mainly for the one kidney."

Alexx looked at him shocked. "Walter protected you? That's incredibly noble of him."  
>"Yes," Horatio said, "It seems it was me that was the target today."<br>Alexx's eyes widened. "Was it the Crip Kings?"  
>"Yes." Horatio answered.<p>

"Alright Mr. Wolfe," the doctor said, "You're done here. I'll go tell the ultra sound technician that you're ready." The doctor left the room.

"They're after you, aren't they Jessie Bug?" Alexx asked.

Jessica stood there for a moment. "They sent a calling card to the lab marking Ryan and I for death."

"Oh no" was all Alexx could manage before the ultrasound technician came in.

"Dr. Caine," she said, "If you're ready we can take you and your boyfriend in for the ultra sound."  
>"Yes, let's go." Jessica climbed into the wheelchair that she had brought with her. "Horatio, can you please fill Alexx in on everything?"<p>

"Yes, of course Bug." Horatio responded.

"Why do I always have to be wheeled everywhere all the time? Is this some kind of rule? 'If you're knocked up you can't walk!'" Jessica joked as they walked down the hall.

The ultrasound technician and Ryan laughed. "You're always so chirper Dr. Caine. And it's just a precaution in case there's any kind of fetal harm."

They entered the ultrasound room and Jessica hopped up on the table. She quickly pulled her sundress up. The ultrasound technician applied the gel and began moving the probe around Jessica's abdomen. The screen began morphing and soon a picture took form.

Ryan looked at the screen as a small body took shape. He felt himself tear up at the sight of his child. "My god Jessica," he said, "It's amazing."

Jessica slipped her hand into Ryan's and she felt him squeeze. "This is why I wanted you here."

The ultrasound technician moved the probe around, examining every angle of the baby.

"Well it seems that there isn't any damage and it's growing nicely according to schedule." she said, "It seems Dr. Caine and Mr. Wolfe you have a healthy baby." She removed the probe and began cleaning Jessica's stomach as the machine printed a picture. "Would you like to know the sex of your baby?"

Jessica looked at Ryan. He shrugged. "It's up to you."

"Well, I kind of….. I don't know." She thought.

Ryan kissed her. "Then let's be surprised."

The ultrasound technician smiled. "That's always fun. Here's a picture of your baby." She handed Jessica the print out. A smile spread across her face.

"Look Ryan," she said, "It's our baby."

Ryan looked at the picture and kissed Jessica's hand. "It's beautiful."


	9. Life before Jessica

**Ok this chapter I really, really, reaaaaaallly had to decide whether to actually put it in the story or not. It was an idea that popped into my head one day and so I wrote it down and after many days of careful consideration I decided to include it. It's kind of different and I think it tells something about the characters, both the ones I've created and the ones on the show. I apologize if anyone doesn't like it.  
><strong>

Life before Jessica

Jessica and Ryan were taken to a new safe house. This time they were in an apartment just outside the city limits of Miami. Horatio and Frank hoped that if they weren't in Miami they would be harder to find. The set up was almost identical to the last one, with one bedroom set up as headquarters and the other the victims slept in, only this time Horatio hadn't bothered with two beds.

Jessica lay on the bed of their temporary bedroom by Ryan. He sat next to her and stroking her back.

"Ryan," she asked, "How many woman have you been with?"

"Why love?" Ryan asked her.

"I'm just curious. I promise I'm not going to judge you or anything. I was just kind of wondering because it's something we've never talked about."  
>Ryan sighed and thought about it. "I dated a few girls in junior high and high school, I lost my virginity at nineteen in college to the first girl I proposed to, then another girl in the police academy, the second one I asked to marry me, and then one just before joining the lab, the third one I proposed to. I dated a few women in between, but nothing serious." Ryan hesitated, "Natalia and I went on a few dates, but that was all. We decided it was best to keep our relationship professional. Honestly I don't think she was into me the same way I was into her. Oh and then you of course," He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "The greatest one yet."<p>

"You dated Natalia?" Jessica asked.

"Yeah, but like I said it was a short lived thing, only about a month. We went on a few dates, that was it, before she broke it off."

"Did you have sex with all three you proposed to?" Jessica asked.

"Yes," Ryan answered, "And if you're wondering you were definitely the best, and I know that's because you mean it when you say you love me." Ryan leaned in close with a sly smile. "That and the fact that you're just crazy amazing with what you do."

Jessica smiled at him from where she lay on the bed. "You're wonderful."

"How about you?" Ryan asked, "What's your relationship past like?"

Jessica sighed and laid there for a minute. She thought about telling Ryan her one secret that no one knew but Horatio.

"I was with James. Then I dated a few guys in college and grad school, but each of them ended with the same result of them wanting sex and me not giving it up to them so they broke it off. Mark and I had our sex therapy, but like I told you we never made it fully through coitus. So I guess you're only the third guy that I've had sex with…well, fourth I guess."

"What do you mean 'I guess'?"

Jessica didn't respond. She closed her eyes and felt tears form beneath her lids.

"You won't think less of me if I tell you something?" she finally asked him.

"Of course not, love. I could never do that." Ryan answered.

"Even if it sounds horrendous?"

"I will always love you no matter what."

Jessica took a deep breathe. "I did manage to have sex with another man before you."

Ryan continued to rub her back as he listened. "Was it one of the guys from college?"

"No, it was before I left for college. It was with someone I was every close to."  
>Ryan thought it over for a second and then asked, "Who?"<p>

Jessica took a deep breathe and exhaled slowly. "I slept with Horatio."

_III_

Horatio heard the door slowly open and close to the bedroom in his new apartment he shared with his daughter. At this point Izzy was working on legally changing her name to Jessica Elizabeth Stone Caine, her mother's name but with Horatio's last name.

"Horatio?" Izzy said as she knelt beside Horatio's, "Are you awake?"

"For you Izzy Bug I'm always awake." Horatio sat up and looked at his daughter. "Did you want to talk?"

"No, I just wanted to be with you." Izzy replied.

Horatio smiled at her and moved over in the bed so Izzy could climb in with him. It was something Izzy had taken up since she had been released from prison. Izzy seemed to be having troubles sleeping alone, so Horatio always welcomed her into his bed.

Izzy snuggled up to Horatio as close as she could get. Horatio held his daughter close and breathed in her scent. Izzy smelled different, more pleasant than she had when she entered prison. Izzy had also physically changed since he last saw her. The prison had to give her special vitamins and dietary supplements because in the first month Izzy grew from her small four foot nine inches to an incredible five foot two inches and was still growing. Her bones had become brittle so the infirmary gave her special medication to strengthen them. Neither of Izzy's parents had been particularly tall. In fact Izzy's father stood at least half a foot shorter than Horatio. Horatio wondered if it had something to do with his blood inside her body affecting her growth and physical appearance. Izzy had also seemed to have developed a more womanly figure, from her small childish one she had had. Horatio felt her body pressed against his and caught his thoughts drifting in the wrong direction and his body reacting slightly.

"Horatio?" Izzy asked.

"Yes my dear." Horatio responded.

"What's it like to be in love?"

Horatio thought this question over for a minute. "It's being able to be with someone and they're the only one you're thinking about. Nothing else in the world matters. All you want is that one person in that one moment."  
>Izzy thought about it. "I wasn't in love with James. I was always thinking about Dad or you when I was with him, and how I wanted to get away from him."<p>

"That doesn't sound like love to me." Horatio said.

"Do you love me, Horatio?"

Horatio smiled into her hair. "Yes, Izzy Bug, I love you very much."

Horatio stroked Izzy's back and felt her breathing. She was silent for a long time before she spoke again.

"Horatio?"  
>"Yes Bug?"<p>

"Will you…..will you make love to me?"

Horatio sat up and looked at her in shock. "Izzy, how could you possibly think of something like that?"

Izzy began to cry. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to know what it felt like to be with someone that loved me and not someone who was so….forceful and hurt me and mean all the time…"  
>Horatio's heart broke. He never wanted to make his daughter cry.<p>

"Izzy, we can't, you're my daughter."  
>"Only in a legal sense. Do you think I would be asking you if I was your flesh and blood?"<p>

"But you are my flesh and blood."

Izzy looked at him and buried her face in a pillow. Horatio knew why she was asking. Izzy needed a physical reassurance of their love, not just words.

Horatio leaned down and softly kissed the back of her neck. "If I agree will you never ask for this again?"

Izzy turned and looked at Horatio. "Yes, I promise, I'll never ask again."

"Do you swear you won't tell anyone?"

"Yes, I'll never speak it to anyone."

"Alright then." Horatio leaned down and capture Izzy's lips with his own. He felt Izzy react to the kiss and kiss him back. She reached up and twined her fingers in his hair. She prodded at his lower lip with her tongue, but Horatio refused her access. Horatio finally released her and they looked at each other breathlessly.

"I'll be right back." Horatio told her. He climbed from the bed and went to his bathroom. He found a condom and went back to the bedroom. He dropped the condom on the nightstand.

Horatio crawled back on top of Izzy and continued to kiss her. He lightly caressed her body and ran his hands through her hair. Izzy pulled at the waist of his pajama pants. Horatio sat up and pulled them off himself. Izzy looked at his arousal within his boxer briefs. Izzy grew nervous, but knew Horatio wouldn't hurt her.

Horatio slowly pulled Izzy's shorts off and ran his hands along the inside of her thighs.

"Are you ok?" Horatio asked her.

Izzy nodded her head.

"Do you still want to keep going?"

Izzy hesitated but nodded again.

Horatio kissed her and tugged at her panties. He pulled them off and looked at her. Izzy didn't look like a little kid anymore. She was definitely developing into a young woman.

Horatio laid down in the bed next to her. Izzy looked at him in confusion.

"Spread your legs a little." Horatio instructed her, "This shouldn't hurt, but tell me if it does."

Izzy did as she was instructed. Horatio carefully slid his fingers inside her. He softly caressed her clitoris and felt Izzy react and a slight moan escape her lips.

"Horatio," Izzy said, as she closed her eyes, "That feels amazing."

"Good, I'm glad to hear." Horatio said as he slid his fingers into her vagina. He slowed moved them around inside her, careful not to be too forceful.

"Are you still ok?" Horatio asked. Izzy had kept her eyes shut and only small moans of desire were an indication that she was still awake. "Yes, please don't stop." Izzy said breathlessly.

After a few minutes Horatio felt Izzy was ready and it was time to move on. He slowly pulled his fingers out and Izzy whimpered from the loss of contact.

"Horatio?..." she said, opening her eyes.

"Don't worry, I'm keeping my promise."

Horatio grabbed the condom from the nightstand and pulled off his boxer briefs. Izzy looked at him in amazement. He was much larger than James. Izzy reached out and gently touched him. Horatio gasped at the sudden contact and let Izzy feel him. She slowly explored his body, feeling every inch of him. Horatio moaned lightly.

Soon Izzy dropped her hand and looked into Horatio's blue eyes, ones that now matched her own.

"Please Horatio…" was all she could manage.

Horatio leaned down and kissed her gently. "Only if you really want to."

Horatio sat back up and opened the condom. He rolled it down his impressive length as Izzy's body quivered in anticipation.

"Are you ready?" Horatio asked, as he lightly kissed her neck.

"Yes, please Horatio." Jessica responded quietly.

Horatio kissed her directly on the lips and gently guided her down to the bed. He settled in between her legs and placed himself at her entrance. Horatio gently pushed his member into Izzy. He felt her muscles tighten at the intrusion and stopped momentarily, allowing Izzy the chance to adjust. He continued at this pace until he was buried up to the hilt.

"How do you feel?" he whispered into Izzy's ear.

"Amazing, so big but so gentle, thank you." Izzy responded, gasping a bit.

Horatio kissed her neck and began to rock his hips. Izzy moaned a little louder under Horatio's thrusting. It was gentle and careful. Izzy couldn't believe how amazing she felt.

"Faster, please?" Izzy asked.

"Anything for you Izzy." Horatio responded and began to pick up his pace slowly.

Soon Horatio could feel his climax approaching and could tell by Izzy's gasp that she was getting there.

"Almost there Izzy." Horatio told her.

"Yes, I think I can feel myself- Ahhhhhhhh!"

Izzy didn't get the chance to finish her sentence because she suddenly felt every nerve in her body come alive and her muscles tense. She felt as if she had lost control of her body, but the feeling was amazing. She didn't want it to end, but too soon did it seem to stop. Izzy felt Horatio's body shake and a sudden jolt deep within her.

Horatio stopped and leaned over her breathing heavily. He looked into Izzy's eyes and could see how blue they were even in the dim light. Horatio slowly pulled out of her and walked to the bathroom. He carefully removed the condom and threw it in the trash. He walked back into the bedroom to find Izzy pulling her panties back on. Horatio grabbed his boxer briefs and put them back on, closely followed by his pajama pants. By this time Izzy had pulled her shorts back on and was moving over to make room for Horatio.

"How do you feel?" Horatio asked her as he climbed back into the bed next to her.

"Amazing." Izzy said sleepily, "I can't believe I've been missing out on something like that."

"Well, you shouldn't be doing these kinds of things until you're older and in love. Sex isn't just a physical thing Izzy, it's emotional, too. You have to be ready to share your body with a person."

Izzy looked at Horatio. "Thank you Horatio, for sharing that with me."

"Anything for my little Izzy." Horatio said, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

"Please Horatio, call me Jessica." Izzy mumbled quietly.  
>Horatio smiled into her hair and kissed the top of her head. "Alright, I will." Horatio held her close. "I love you Jessie Bug."<br>"I love you, too, Daddy H." she responded as sleep over took her.

Horatio held her close. As Izzy fell asleep Horatio couldn't help but feel this would be the last time he would hold his Izzy, as her life as Elizabeth Johnson came to an end and her life as Jessica Caine began.

_III_

Ryan looked at Jessica in disbelief. He wasn't sure if he could comprehend what she had just told him. He mulled over the story for awhile before speaking.

"You had sex with Horatio…. your adopted father…..after he had adopted you?" Ryan quietly asked her.

Jessica nodded her head as the tears became too much for her. "I know, I'm a terrible person. I persuaded him to do it. I'm a whore really."

Ryan suddenly leaned down and kissed her softly. "You're anything but a whore. You're a beautiful and incredible person. You were hurting and needed someone to heal you. Horatio did just that. Sure it seems like an odd request to me, but if it's what you really needed then you did the right thing."

Jessica looked at him with the saddest blue eyes Ryan had ever seen. "You don't think less of me because I had sex with my father?"

"No, I told you there's nothing you could do that would make me think less of you." Ryan lay down next to her on the bed and placed his arm on her back. "Really if you think about it you didn't have sex with Horatio, Izzy did."

Jessica looked at Ryan with her giant blue eyes that he now recognized as Horatio's.

"Well you're not Elizabeth Johnson and Horatio said it himself that the day you officially changed your name to Jessica he viewed it as Izzy's life ending and Jessica's life beginning. You said you were still Izzy when you asked him. I really don't know if I'm making sense anymore. Just tell me to shut up."

Jessica smiled and giggled at him. "Shut up." She thought it over and stroked his cheek. "I guess I never thought of it that way before."

Ryan kissed her softly and stroked her hair. "You're the most amazing person I've ever met. I love you more than anything in this world. I'm never going to leave you Jessica. You're my world and my soul."

Tears formed in Jessica's eyes as she looked into Ryan's beautiful hazel ones. "Thank you Ryan. I love you, too. Without you I'm incomplete."

**See what I mean? I just didn't know about this chapter for the longest time. I hope it didn't make anyone hate Horatio or Jessica. .**


	10. Broken heart mission

Broken Heart Mission

Jessica looked over the body of the gunman with Tom while Ryan and Horatio observed. Tom had wanted to wait twenty-four hours before doing the autopsy on the gunman in case there were any tricks. The bomb squad had looked over it and it was given a de-tox bath, just in case he had been exposed to radiation. Jessica conferred with this idea. She said she wouldn't put it past the Crip Kings to expose the young man in order to cause an outbreak in the crime lab.

The DNA analysis had come back already. The gunman's name was David Sherzer and he was twenty-three years old and a native of Chicago.

"I can't believe it." Jessica said, "This is little Davey, Horatio. Do you remember when I used to babysit him?"

"And now he's a Crip King, just like his big brother." Horatio said.

"It's a shame really; he was such a talented piano player. He could have made it big." Jessica reminisced.

"Jessica," Tom said, "What can you tell us about this?" He held up David's left arm, exposing the name "Horatio" with a broken heart next to it.

Jessica sighed. "His task was to kill Horatio, but David knew he wasn't leaving this place alive. The broken heart is the symbol of a suicide mission. Whoever receives a suicide task cannot leave the building alive. If they do then the Crip Kings will kill them their self. You can't turn down a suicide task. David was probably drugged when they craved this into his arm. Most likely they ditched him somewhere while he was passed out. When he woke up he found Horatio's name on his arm and the heart and knew it meant he had to kill Horatio and die himself."

"But why Horatio?" Ryan asked, "Why not send him after you or me?"  
>"I have a few theories about that part." Jessica explained, "It might have been a scare tactic. They wanted to harm the one person who means more to me than anything in the world. They figured kill Horatio and I'll turn myself over to them in order to save everyone else.<p>

"It could also have been just a preview of what's to come. They want to remind me that I've betrayed them and now I must pay my debts. It's been almost two weeks since the calling card was sent, they may have just wanted to show they mean business."

"What does this mean?" Tom asked, pulling the sheet up the young man's leg.

Burned into David's thigh much like a brand was a grim reaper with an hour glass. The top of the hour glass was full and the sand was running into the bottom.

"Oh my god," Jessica gasped, "That can't be…. That's James's insignia. He was the leader of the Crimson Crip Kings in Chicago so he used the grim reaper as his insignia. Whenever he killed someone he craved a grim reaper with an hour glass into their body, usually their back or stomach. But the sand in his hour glass was always on the bottom and the top was empty, meaning their time had run out."

Horatio looked at his daughter. "Jessica, what does this mean?"

Jessica stared at him. "It means that James has returned."

* * *

><p>Jessica and Ryan were being corralled down the hall to the elevator by Frank and Horatio.<p>

"Are you sure this James guy is back?" Frank asked, "I mean the guy was in a maximum security prison in Illinois. There's no way he could have gotten out and all the way to Miami."  
>"I don't know Frank, but right now I feel the best thing is to get Jessica and Ryan out of the building in case there's another attack."<p>

As they passed the receptionist desk the young woman stationed there stopped them.

"Excuse me, Dr. Caine," she said, "This letter just arrived for you." She held up an envelope with Jessica's name on it.

Jessica didn't hesitate to take it. "Thank you Mel." She looked it over. Her name, "Dr. Jessica Elizabeth Stone Caine," was printed on the front along with the address for the Miami Dade Crime Lab. There was no return address.

Jessica tore it open to find another envelope inside, only this one was addressed differently.

"Elizabeth Renee Johnson 1630 W Farragut Ave Andersonville Chicago, Il 60640"

Jessica stared at the address for a moment as her hands began to shake. Before Horatio could take it from her Jessica ripped the envelope open. Inside was a piece of notebook paper. In crude handwriting were the words "I'm coming for you Izzy!" Below it was a grim reaper holding an hour glass. The top of the hour glass was full and the sand was running into the bottom.

'In other news, an Illinois death row inmate is still missing after escaping from the Illinois State Penitentiary almost two weeks ago.'

Jessica looked up at the TV screen above the receptionist's desk. The news was playing and the anchor was talking about a prison break out. There was a picture of the missing inmate hovering above her shoulder. His bright blue eyes burning against the screen.

'James Wilson was convicted for the murder of Lieutenant Brian Johnson almost fourteen years ago and was sentenced to death by an Illinois State Court. Wilson was scheduled to be executed this upcoming September. Officials are still investigation how he was able to escape the prison…'

Jessica didn't hear the rest of the report. A terrified scream escaped her throat and she suddenly felt the wall against her back. She hadn't realized she was backing up with each word the news anchor said. Jessica felt her heart start to pound in her chest and tears running down her face.

"Oh god no!" she screamed.

"Jess, Jess!" Ryan was at her side, "Let me see that." He managed to pull the paper from Jessica's clenched fists. Ryan looked at it briefly and then tossed it to Horatio. He wrapped his arms around Jessica and held her, attempting to calm her down.

Horatio looked at the paper. He felt the color drain from his face. "Frank," he said, "We need to get them back to the safe house now."

"What's going on?" Frank asked.

"James is back." Horatio said, "He's really back."

* * *

><p>Jessica sat on the couch in the living room of the safe house. She had long run out of tears to cry. The fear she had felt was slowly turning into anger. Jessica was no longer afraid James would find her. Now she wanted to find him and hurt him as he had hurt her so many years ago.<p>

Ryan sat down next to Jessica on the couch. He held out a plate of sweet and sour beef stir fry he had just made for her. "I know you're probably not hungry but you should eat something." Ryan said.

Jessica looked at the plate and took it from Ryan. She picked up the fork that had been resting on the side and began picking at the food. Ryan was right, Jessica didn't feel hungry at all, but she knew she had to eat to something for their baby.

Ryan slowly picked at his own plate, watching Jessica eat. He nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck and kissed her neck softly. "I love you" he whispered. Jessica smiled and kissed the top of his head. "I love you, too."

They continued to eat their food in the living room, while Frank and his crew ate in the kitchen. Ryan wanted to be alone with Jessica, so he asked Frank to let them eat in the living room unsupervised. Frank was reluctant but agreed anyways.

Jessica giggled softly. Ryan looked at her. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"I feel like I'm sitting at the kids' table at Thanksgiving or something." Jessica replied. Ryan chuckled at her joke and kissed her cheek. "Except no one ever kissed me when I sat at the kids' table." Jessica said, "It was more like me beating the other kids up so I could eat their piece of pie, too."

Ryan laughed at her joke and leaned his head on her shoulder. "You're amazing."

"And you're an amazing cook." Jessica commented, "Why have you been letting me cook for you all these months when you could have been doing it yourself?"

Ryan smiled at her. "Because I really can't cook that well. Stir fry was just something I happened to master while in college. It was easy to make."

Jessica giggled again. "Oh Ryan Wolfe," Jessica said, "What would I do without you?"

"I don't know, have less to worry about?" Ryan smiled and leaned in and kissed her.


	11. A Bitter Reunion

**Hey everyone, sorry about the slow updates. I've been really busy working full time again and haven't had a lot of free time to update. Plus it's thunder storm/tornado season around here so it seems every other week my electricity or internet is getting knocked out, and without either of those I can't update. Sorry again and I hope everyone enjoys the next few chapters with Ryan and Jessica.**

A Bitter Reunion

Ryan woke up to his phone buzzing. He reached across Jessica and picked it up off the night stand. "Wolfe" he answered.

"You're not my daughter." He heard Horatio say. Ryan pulled the phone back and realized it was Jessica's that had been ringing. He put the phone back to his ear. "You're right, I'm not. She's much prettier than me." Horatio laughed at Ryan's joke.

"Is there a chance the two of you could come down to the lab? We have some more evidence from Sherzer's body that Tom needs some professional analysis of." Horatio asked.

"Yeah sure H, no problem. Give us like half an hour and we'll be there." Ryan answered.

"Alright, see you soon." Horatio said as he hung up.

Ryan placed the phone back on the night stand and flopped his head back onto the pillow. He stroke Jessica's face softly and her eyes twitched.

"Jess? Are you awake?" Ryan quietly asked.

Jessica groaned and rolled over. "Yeah, was that Daddy?"

"Yes, Tom needs us at the lab to check something out with Sherzer."

"Ok, let's go." Jessica said, getting out of bed.

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later they were almost to the crime lab. Jessica drove her Audi Q7 while Frank followed close behind in his patrol car. They were told to park out front and Horatio would meet them there to escort them in. They only had a few more minutes of driving and Ryan was on the phone with Horatio telling him their estimated time of arrival.<p>

A car passed them and sped off in front of them. At first Jessica thought it was just the way the light casted off the car that made it look weird. Then she realized what she was really looking at. Etched into the side of the car was a grim reaper with an hour glass. The top and the bottom of the hour glass were each half full. It was every small, maybe seven inches tall at the most. The car pulled out in front of them and continued on its path.

Jessica gripped the steering wheel tighter and continued on her drive. She could feel her heart racing as she tried to figure out what to do. She knew Ryan would never go for what she was thinking. Jessica didn't have anymore time though, she could see the lab and knew it was now or never.

"Ryan," Jessica said, "When we get to the curb I need you to get out."  
>Ryan looked at confused. "What do you mean?"<p>

"I need you to get out of the car and go to Horatio. Don't stop, don't try to come back, and don't shoot no matter what."  
>"Jessica what are you saying?"<p>

"Ryan I need you to trust me. Get out of the car and go to Horatio."  
>Ryan shook his head. "No Jessica, park the car and we'll both get out."<br>"No we can't!" Jessica's voice cracked, "They'll kill you, too!"

Ryan froze, understanding what Jessica was saying. "They're here, right now, aren't they?"

Jessica nodded. "You need to get out of the car and go to Horatio. Just trust me, please."

"No Jessica, not without you."

Jessica stopped at the curb and turned to Ryan. Tears were forming in her eyes that were filled with anger and fear. "Ryan Wolfe if you love me then you will get out of this car!"

Ryan sat there and looked at her without moving. "Jess…" He was silenced by a searing kiss from Jessica. He felt all her love and passion in that moment.

Jessica pulled back and looked at him. "Please Ryan, you said you would do anything for me. Do this for me now. Get out of the car and go to Horatio." Jessica pulled her gun from its holster on her belt. Ryan knew she wouldn't hesitate in shooting him if he didn't get out.

Ryan sat there for a moment just looking at Jessica. He took her hand in his and kissed it. He squeezed it one last time and unbuckled his seatbelt.

Ryan climbed from the car and slowly walked towards Horatio. Horatio looked at Ryan confused. He took off his sunglasses and walked towards Ryan.

"Ryan, what's going on?" Horatio asked quickly.

Ryan couldn't answer he shook his head and fought back the urge to vomit.

"Ryan, what is Jessica doing?" Horatio asked, starting to feel panicked.

Ryan blinked back tears he could feel forming. "I told her I would do anything for her." he choked out, shaking his head, "She asked me to get out of the car and walk to you."

Horatio tried to run past Ryan to get to the car. Ryan blocked him. "You can't." Ryan said, "She… they…." Ryan just stood there at a loss, unsure of what to do or say.

Jessica watched Ryan walk away from the car. She saw her father approach him and then attempt to run to her. Ryan stopped him. Jessica turned back towards the road. She had a clear path. Jessica gunned the engine and tore through the front parking lot.

Ryan heard the tires squeal and couldn't help but turn back. He watched Jessica peel away from the curb and nearly run over at least two people. Ryan saw the car he didn't recognize. His hand twitched towards his gun but he fought the urge, knowing he had to keep his promise.

Suddenly men were jumping out of the car. Shots rang out and Ryan watched two of them drop to the ground and both driver side windows shatter. Ryan could see Jessica flinch as her back driver window was shot out. Two of the men managed to get to Jessica's car. One wrecked the door open and pulled Jessica from the driver's seat. He hit her over the head with the butt of his gun and Jessica's body went limp. They shoved her into the back of their car and climbed back in, not bothering to pick up the other two.

Ryan didn't care anymore about his promise. He released his grip on Horatio's arm and ran towards the car. He pulled out his gun and began shooting at the car's back end. There were suddenly officers everywhere running towards the car. Patrol cars peeled out from every direction. Ryan could hear Frank yelling into his radio as he drove off after the car.

Horatio grabbed Ryan and pulled him against his body. Ryan collapsed to the ground screaming senselessly. Horatio guided him to the ground and just held him. Ryan was shaking in his arms and he was beginning to hyperventilate.

"Ryan, you have to stay with me." Horatio said, "Ryan come on, we need to get inside."

"H, I let her leave! Why did I do that! I knew they were here! I should have stayed with her!" Ryan was yelling.

"Ryan, we need to get you inside now!" Horatio pulled Ryan up and forced him to walk towards the lab.

Horatio dragged him inside the building and into the elevator. Once they were on their floor, Horatio guided Ryan to his office. He set Ryan on the couch and forced him to hold his head between his legs.

"Deep breaths Ryan, deep breaths," Horatio said soothingly, rubbing Ryan's back.

Team members began appearing in the doorway of Horatio's office.

"H, what's going on?" Eric asked, the first to arrive. "There was shooting and cars driving like crazy everywhere outside."

"They've got her." Horatio said.

Eric went pale. "The Crip Kings got Jessica." he stated, knowing there was no reason to ask.

Natalia and Calleigh had arrived and caught the last of Eric's statement.

"What!" Calleigh said, "They've got Jessica!"

"Oh god no!" Natalia cried, covering her mouth with her hands.

"H, what's going on?" Walter asked as he and Jesse entered the room.

"The Crip Kings have Jessica." Eric explained, "The shooting and the cars that was them, wasn't it H?"  
>"Yes, I'm afraid so." Horatio said. He lifted Ryan's head and looked at his tear streaked face.<p>

"Ryan, I need you to tell me what happened." Horatio said to him.

New tears formed in Ryan's eyes and a horrendous noise escaped his throat. "I let her leave! I shouldn't have let her go! I should have stayed with her and protected her!"  
>"Ryan I need you to calm down and tell me what happened in the car." Horatio said a little more sternly. "Natalia, can you please go get him some water?"<p>

"Sure thing." Natalia said as she left Horatio's office.

"Ryan, tell me what you saw in the car." Horatio said.

Ryan tried to recompose himself enough to explain. "A car passed us, a maroon one. I was on the phone with you but I noticed Jessica tense when it drove by. Then she told me I had to get out of the car and leave her. I refused and she told me I had to or else they would kill us both."

Natalia returned with a bottle of water. She handed it to Ryan who took a drink before continuing.

"I told her to get out of the car with me, but she wouldn't. She told me that if I loved her I would get out, because I told her I would do anything for her." Ryan paused as more tears formed and ran down his face. He took a few deep breathes before continuing. "I just sat there and she pulled out her gun. I knew she would shoot at me if I didn't get out. So I got out of the car and walked to Horatio like she said. Then she drove away and…" Ryan lost his voice at this point. He leaned forward and held his head between his legs again.

Horatio sat down on the couch and cradled the young man in his arms. "It's alright Ryan, you did the right thing."

"No I didn't!" Ryan cried, burying his face in Horatio's chest. "I should have protected her!"

"Ryan, do you love my daughter?" Horatio gently asked.

"Yes!" Ryan painfully cried out.

"Would you do anything for her?"

"Yes!"

"Then you did the right thing. I know it doesn't seem like it and it hurts a lot, but you did what she needed you to do." Horatio soothingly said, smoothing Ryan's hair. "She wanted you to get out so that you were safe. She needed to protect you and that's the only way she could. Jessie Bug's a tough cookie and she's willing to risk her life for the ones she loves. Trust me, I know from first hand experience."

Ryan sat up and looked at Horatio. He seemed to have calmed down a lot. "I just feel like I betrayed her and threw her to the lions." Ryan looked at the floor. "You probably hate me for it."

Horatio placed his hand on Ryan's cheek and gently pulled his face towards his own.

"Ryan Wolfe, you have proven to me that you are more than willing to do whatever you have to be with my daughter because you love her. Not many people would have jumped out of a car with the one person they love more than anything in the world in it and let them drive towards someone who wants them dead. You did and I'm extremely proud of you. It was a hard decision but you made the right choice."

Ryan leaned into Horatio and allowed the older man to hold him. "Thank you H," he whispered.

Horatio pulled back and looked at Ryan. "Now, let's go find our girl."

* * *

><p>Jessica groaned and rolled over onto her back. Her head was pounding and she felt like she was going to vomit. She tried to move her hands but to no avail. She could feel them tied to something above her head. Jessica slowly opened her eyes and took in the scene around her. Her vision was blurred and she was disoriented. Her eyes burned from being closed with her contacts in for so long. Jessica tried to sit up but the rope around her wrists was too short.<p>

She could tell she was on a boat and she was beneath the deck. It must have been an old boat because everything appeared to be rusting and there was wood paneling. There were ropes and boating equipment everywhere. Several large barrels were lined up along one wall.

Jessica laid back down and tried to make the room stop spinning. A sudden movement in her lower abdomen made her jump. Her baby was moving, most likely responding to the panic she was feeling. Jessica was relieved to know at least that her child was still alive.

Then Jessica heard thundering footsteps above her. They moved behind her and Jessica could hear them coming closer. The footsteps descended downward and Jessica could tell they were right behind her.

"Izzy," she heard a cold voice say, "I see you're awake now."

Jessica continued to lay there. She refused to face him. A hard boot met her side and Jessica cried out as she heard a cracking noise.

"You should answer when you're addressed! Didn't Lieutenant Caine teach you anything?"

"Go to hell." Jessica quietly said. The boot hit her side again and the wind left Jessica's lungs.

Her eyes watered and she turned away from her attacker. He reached down and grabbed her face. He pulled her head so she was looking square into his icy blue eyes.

"You really need to learn some manners Izzy." James sneered into her face.

"My name isn't Izzy!" Jessica said. She kicked her leg up quickly and hit him square between the legs. It wasn't enough force though. James barely flinched as she hit him. He smacked her hard across the face, causing Jessica to see stars.

"I thought you would have been happy to see me after all these years, Izzy Bug."  
>"Don't call me that!" Jessica yelled at him. "You have no right to use that name!"<p>

James slammed her head hard against the floor, gripping her throat. "You have become such a little brat Izzy." He gestured to someone else to come over. "Maybe this will help you relax."

The other man handed James a needle and Jessica knew right away what it was.

"No! Please don't!" Jessica squirmed under his grip.

"But Izzy you used to love this stuff." James said, bringing the needle to her neck.

Jessica could feel where one of her veins was already bulging under James's grip. James slid the needle in and Jessica felt the burn of the heroin entering her blood stream. James released his hold on her neck and Jessica's head lolled to the side. Tears slid down her cheeks as Jessica felt the drug beginning to take effect.

"Maybe that will help you loosen up." James said. He stood up and looked down at Jessica. "You're so pathetic, Izzy." He walked away and back up the stairs, leaving Jessica alone.

Jessica's chest hurt and she felt her baby move again. She curled up on her side and cried to herself. Jessica knew what the drug could do once it got into the baby's blood stream.

"Oh sweetie," Jessica quietly said to her baby, "I know it hurts, but I promise we'll get out of this. Your daddy and grandfather will find us and they'll save us. I promise no one's going to hurt you. We're going home and we can become a family together. That's my promise to you."

* * *

><p>"Hook that computer up on this desk and bring up Skype." Horatio ordered an officer. "I'll be back in a moment to log into my account. Davidson do you have those phones hooked up to the tracking equipment?"<p>

"Yes sir." Officer Davidson replied.

"Good. Come on Ryan." Horatio really didn't need to tell Ryan to follow him, since Ryan had become a lost puppy and wouldn't leave Horatio's side.

"How are you doing Ryan?" Horatio asked him.

"I'm doing better." Ryan replied, "How do you know we'll need all of this equipment?"

"I know how James works. He'll try to contact us to tell me that he has Jessica." Horatio explained, "James likes to taunt. He used to call Brian's house every time he had Jessica at his place. He would tell Brian what he planned on doing to poor Jessie. It broke Brian's heart."

"Lieutenant Caine," Officer Davidson yelled, "We have an incoming call!"

Horatio and Ryan rushed to the phone that was already hooked up to the tracking equipment. Horatio nodded at Davidson and he hit the record button. Horatio pushed the speaker phone button. "This is Horatio Caine." he said.

"Lieutenant Caine," said the cold voice that Horatio would never be able to forget, "How have you been?"

"Where's Jessica, James? I know you have her."

"Jessica? Who's Jessica?" James asked, "I could have sworn that the girl I have was named Izzy, or did you forget your own Goddaughter's name in your old age?"

"James, make this easy on yourself, just tell me where you are and we can resolve this whole thing the easy way."

James laughed a high chilling laugh. "Did you really think that it was going to be that easy Lieutenant? Maybe I wanted Izzy all to myself finally. You were always there getting in the way. Now it's my turn. Izzy and I are going to be together forever!" The phone lined clicked and a dial tone began humming.

Ryan looked at Horatio. "H, what did he mean by 'together forever?'"

Horatio sighed. "James was always a selfish being. He thinks he'll be able to keep us from finding Jessica, but he hasn't seen our determination. Davidson, were you able to trace the call?"

"No sir, he's using a blocked number, we weren't able to track it. We did manage to record the conversation though."  
>"Good, get that to the AV lab. Maybe they can recover something that will give away his location." Horatio grabbed Ryan's arm. "Come on Ryan, this isn't over yet."<p>

"Do you really think we're going to be able to find her, H?" Ryan asked.

"I don't think so, I know so."

* * *

><p>Jessica rolled from side to side, the heroin making her itch all over. Someone was coming down the stairs. Jessica began to panic. She pulled at the ropes around her wrists, attempting to get away, fear overcoming her.<p>

"Oh Izzy, Lieutenant Caine must care about you after all." James said, "Too bad he doesn't understand what kind of love we have."  
>"I don't love you." Jessica said.<p>

"Of course you do." James said, "You've always loved me Izzy, that's what you told me when we first fell in love. But now Lieutenant Caine is out of the way and we can truly be together forever. Isn't that what you've always wanted Izzy?"

"Stop calling me Izzy!" Jessica yelled, "My name is Jessica! Jessica Caine!"

James looked down at her with appalled expression on his face. "Did that bastard marry you?"

Jessica laughed at him. "Maybe he did. Maybe we got married and we live together with our three children. Maybe we fuck every night like rabbits. How would that make you feel James?"

James didn't answer her, but instead kicked her in the side again. Jessica coughed and felt the tell tale sign of broken ribs. James reached down and grabbed her face. "That makes me want to kill him all the more." James released her face and walked out of the room again.

Jessica laid there, gasping for air. The ropes around her wrist were being to hurt. She felt the ring Ryan gave her catch on one of them.

The ring! Jessica had forgotten to take off her ring! She couldn't let James get it!

Jessica pulled herself towards the beam that her hands were tied to. She pulled the ring off her left hand. She had to hide it, but where could she hide it that James wouldn't find it? Jessica could hear someone coming down the stairs again. She did the only thing she could think to do. Jessica popped the ring in her mouth and swallowed hard. It hurt and she could feel it working its way down her throat. Jessica coughed a few times and curled up in a ball around her hands.

When Jessica looked up she didn't see James. Instead there was a young boy maybe sixteen years old walking down the steps. His hair was buzzed short and he looked grimy. Jessica looked at him until she realized who he was.

"Tommy? Tommy Sherzer?" she asked.

The boy looked away. "My name is Thomas. How do you know me?"

"You don't remember me. I used to babysit you and your brother when we lived in Chicago."

Tommy looked at Jessica perplexed. "Your name is Izzy, right?"

Jessica shook her head. "I used to be Izzy, but not anymore. I'm Jessica now."

Tommy stood very still. He seemed like a frightened animal to Jessica. She tried to carefully gain his trust. Jessica knew her only chance of surviving this place was to make at least one ally.

"Tommy, the ropes are hurting me. Can you please untie me?" Jessica gently asked.

Tommy shook his head. "I can't, James said its part of my initiation."

Jessica felt her heart break. "Don't do it Tommy. Get out of this. It's not worth it."

Tommy took a step back. "No, I have to. James already killed David and George. I have no one now. The Crip Kings are my family now." Tommy turned and ran up the stairs, leaving Jessica alone again.

Jessica felt her head start to spin again because of the heroin. She coughed and spit blood onto the floor. She could still feel the ring stuck in her throat. Jessica laid there on her side and began to count her fetal movements. In the last week the baby had begun to move more, but now Jessica had only felt it twice in the last hour. She felt one and then there was silence within her abdomen again.

"Please Sweetie," Jessica said to her baby, "Please stay with me. I can't loose you. Not again."

* * *

><p>Walter and Jesse looked through Jessica's Audi Q7. They had already found the rounds from the Crip Kings' guns. Calleigh had already matched one of them with the guns found with one of the dead gang members. The other seven were unidentified, but a few of the rounds had come up as stolen glocks from the Chicago Police Department.<p>

"Hey Jess, give me a hand over here will ya?" Walter asked Jesse.

"What's the matter Walter, you too gimpy for this?" Jesse teased.

"Yeah I am and this tire is heavy." Walter was trying to pull Jessica's spare out of its compartment in the bottom of the trunk with one hand, since his arm was still in the sling. "Now lend me a hand, damn it."  
>"Whoa, easier there buddy." Jesse said, walking over to help Walter remove the tire. "I didn't mean to upset you."<br>"Well my nerves are a little shot since we're trying to find our boss's daughter here!"

Walter and Jesse had been processing the car for three hours and they still hadn't found anything that led them closer to finding Jessica.

"Well that's it." Walter said, "We've searched every part of this car and we've got nothing."  
>"I'd hate to agree with you Walter but I think you're right." Jesse responded, "I'm going to take these things to Trace and see if Traverse can find anything." Jesse looked at a few of the evidence bags in his hand. "I think I might run these up to Horatio and Ryan first, maybe they'll be able to tell us what they are."<p>

"Sounds good to me. I'll get the rest of these rounds to Calleigh and these samples to Natalia. Hopefully one of these bone heads is the one responsible for this blood spatter here."

* * *

><p>Horatio was pacing. The call from James had shot his nerves and he couldn't seem to stand still. Ryan watched his boss aimlessly walk around the room, checking and rechecking the phone and computer equipment.<p>

"Horatio," Jesse said as he entered the room, "I have everything from Jessica's car and I was wondering if you could confirm for me whether it actually belongs to her."

"Of course" Horatio said, waling over to him.

Horatio shifted through the box, recognizing Jessica's usual car knickknacks. He held her registration and insurance information in his hand and smiled when he found the card he and Marisol had given her for graduation. Then he lifted two clear evidence bags in his hand. One held a silver butterfly necklace and the other a silver and turquoise bracelet.

"That's the necklace I gave Jessica the day she graduated high school." Horatio said, "I don't recognize the bracelet. Ryan, come here."

Ryan stood from the chair he had been sitting in and walked over to Horatio and Jesse. He looked at the bags and immediately recognized the bracelet.

"That's the bracelet I gave Jessie when we were in the Keys." Ryan said, "We had argued and I felt bad about some of the things I had said and I bought her roses and that bracelet."

"Ok, well I have to get these things to Trace and see if Travers can find anything on them." Jesse said, "Thanks for your help Horatio."

"Jesse," Horatio said, "Before you go, could I maybe see that necklace again?"

"Sure H." Jesse replied. He handed the evidence bag to Horatio.

Horatio turned the bag over and read the engraving on the back of the butterfly pendant.

"_Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, she became a beautiful butterfly."_

Horatio sighed and felt sorrow flow through his veins. "Yes, this is Jessica's." He handed the bag back to Jesse. "Better get it to Travers." Horatio turned and walked away from Jesse and Ryan.

Jesse looked at Ryan and tried to give him a reassuring smile. "We're going to find her, Ryan. I know we are." Jesse said to him.

"Thank you Jesse." Ryan said.

Ryan walked over to Horatio. He was standing at the window looking out at the city. He seemed to be somewhere else deep within his thoughts. Ryan placed his hand softly on Horatio's shoulder. Horatio reached up and covered Ryan's hand with his own.

"I found that necklace when I was looking for a high school graduation gift for Jessica." Horatio said, "She always said that ladybugs were her favorite bug. I think it was because it was Jessabell's sorority's mascot and Jessie Bug wanted nothing more than to follow in her mother's footsteps. I looked for the prefect ladybug necklace to give Jessie as a present, but I couldn't seem to find any that really struck me as being the one.

"I found that butterfly necklace and the engraving on the back was prefect for Jessie. She had been Jessica Caine for about year at that point and was still adjusting to her new life. I asked the jeweler if he had anything with that engravement with a ladybug but he didn't. He said I could custom order one but when I thought about it, having something about a caterpillar and butterfly on a ladybug would have seemed strange. Plus I didn't think Jessie would like 'the pupa became a ladybug' on her necklace.

"I bought that one. Jessie Bug loved it. She said it was prefect. She wore it everyday her freshmen year and even up until she graduated. I didn't think she wore it anymore."

"I've seen her wear it a few times." Ryan said, "I asked her about it once and she said it was from her father. I've never seen the engraving on the back." Ryan squeezed Horatio's shoulder "I think it's prefect for Jessica."

They stood there looking out the window for a few minutes.

"Is that why you call her Jessie Bug?" Ryan asked, "Because of the ladybug?"

Horatio smiled and chuckled. "Yes, Jessica loved ladybugs because it was part of who her mother had been. I think the first seven years of her life Jessie would only be a ladybug for Halloween. That's when I started calling her Izzy Bug…." Horatio couldn't seem to bring himself to say the rest. Ryan felt him tense under his hand.

"We have to find her Ryan." Horatio quietly said, "I can't loose another daughter. It was hard enough to say good-bye to my Izzy. I can't loose Jessica."

Ryan pulled Horatio in and held him. He could feel Horatio's sorrow running through his body.

"We're going to find her, H." Ryan said, "This isn't over yet."

* * *

><p>Three; Jessica had counted three fetal movements in the last…what time was it? Jessica had no clue anymore. Someone had come down awhile ago and injected her with more heroin and the high feeling was slowly returning.<p>

Four; she counted as she felt her baby twitched again. How many should she be up to at this point? The doctor had told her the baby should be moving so many times an hour. The heroin made her head feel cloudy and Jessica couldn't seem to think straight. Maybe she could call Dr. Brown and ask him about the baby. He wasn't a neonatal specialist but he had to know something, he was a doctor after all. Where was her cell phone? Ryan had answered it that morning, did he still have it?

Five; baby moved again. Wait, why was she counting? Oh right, fetal movements. How long had it been since the last one? Where was her phone? That has a clock on it, doesn't it?

Six; where was Ryan? He would want to know the baby was moving this much. Oh Jessica was wearing her watch still. It had been four hours since her baby last moved. Was that a good thing? Jessica couldn't remember. Maybe she should call Dr. Brown, he would know, wouldn't he?

Seven; someone was coming down the stairs. Who could it be at this hour?

* * *

><p>Horatio heard the computer chirp, indicating someone was calling him on Skype. He rushed over to the computer. He quickly glanced at Officer Davidson who nodded that he was ready to record.<p>

Horatio sat at the desk, while Ryan hovered over his shoulder.

Horatio clicked the button and the screen blinked to life. There was James Wilson. His hair was buzzed short and he looked grimy. When he smiled Horatio could see where two teeth were missing to the left of his front teeth. Horatio would have bet he lost them in a prison fight.

"Lieutenant Caine," James said, "How good to see you again."

"Where's Jessica?" Horatio barked.

"You were always so hasty Lieutenant, you know that?" James taunted.

"James I'm not here to play games. Give me back Jessica and we can end this now."  
>James laughed a cold chilling laugh. "Well if you must know Izzy was about to go to sleep. Would you like to see her?"<p>

Without waiting for an answer James turned the camera downward and a crumpled body came into view with a man standing with a bat next to it. It was Jessica lying on the floor with her hands tied to a pole. Her head lolled to the side and she seemed to mentally not be there.

"Jessie?" Horatio quietly said.

Jessica turned her head towards the camera at the sound of Horatio's voice. A confused smile spread across her face. "Is that my Daddy I hear?" she asked, her words slurring together.

"Oh god, Jessie what has he done to you?" Horatio asked worried.

"He kicked me, Daddy." Jessica continued, "He kicked me hard that bastard. Will you kill him for me? He hasn't been very nice. He keeps giving me something that doesn't feel good. It makes it hard to think. Is Ryan there? Can you tell him I miss him and ask him if he has my phone? I can't seem to find it."

James laughed and brought the camera back up to his face. "So she thinks you're her father now? How much have you brain washed her, Lieutenant?"

"I haven't brain washed her at all. Jessica's my daughter and I want you to release her James!"

James laughed again. "Oh Lieutenant, if only things were that easy in life." James turned towards the other man in the room. "Hit her Dan."

The man dropped the bat and pulled out a needle and advanced towards Jessica.

"No!" Ryan yelled behind Horatio. James turned and looked at the camera, seeming to notice Ryan for the first time. He smiled a wicked smile and gestured for the man to stop.

"You must be Ryan." James said, "You must be the one Izzy keeps muttering about."

"Please don't hurt Jessie." Ryan begged, "I don't know what that is but I know it can't be good for her." Ryan forced himself to stop talking.

James looked at him perplexed. He walked over to Jessica and pulled her dress up. Jessica squirmed away from his hand and told him not to touch her. James placed a hand on her abdomen and Ryan knew he could feel the mass underneath the skin and muscle.

James suddenly grabbed the needle and plunged it into Jessica's abdomen. Jessica screamed and cried as he depressed the syringe.

"No, please don't! No, James you don't understand!" Jessica pleaded with him. James pulled the needle out and a small trickle of blood ran down her side. James flipped her dress back down and stood up. "Oh I think I understand just fine Izzy." James said.

James turned the camera and looked at Horatio and Ryan. "I'll see you tomorrow, Lieutenant Caine. 9:00am, don't be late." The camera flickered off and the screen went black.

Horatio sat there for a moment, fighting the urge to vomit. He knew he had to be strong for his daughter and for Ryan's sake. Horatio could see Ryan sinking to the floor in the reflection of the screen. He turned and knelt beside the young man. Horatio placed his hands on Ryan's shoulders and forced him to look at him. Ryan was crying again and was close to hyperventilating.

"Ryan, we're going to get her back." Horatio said.

"He, he, he" Ryan gasped. Horatio pulled Ryan against him. "It could have been anything in that needle Ryan." Horatio said, "We don't know if it was anything that could have killed the baby."

"But Horatio" Ryan choked out. Horatio shushed him. "Ryan everything is going to be ok and Jessica is coming home. I promise nothing will happen to her."

"Lieutenant Caine?" Davidson said quietly, "We were able to track the call that time."  
>Horatio looked at him. "Where? Where was he calling from?"<p>

"We couldn't get a location other than somewhere in Florida but we got the number." Davidson paused for a moment. "He called from Jessica's phone. He was using her Droid Skype app to make the call. We're not sure if this is where he called from earlier today or not though."  
>"Thank you Davidson, that's good enough for now." Horatio turned back towards Ryan. "Ryan, how long can Jessica's phone last without recharging?"<p>

Ryan thought it over. "About three days. Why?"

"Because that's all the time we have to find her."

* * *

><p>Horatio forced Ryan to ride with Frank to the safe house alone. "I promise I'll be there as soon as I can. I need to stop at home first." he had said. Ryan looked out the window of the apartment, waiting for Horatio to arrive. Frank had tried to get him to eat something but Ryan wasn't hungry. He heard the lock on the door click and turned to see Horatio walking in with a duffle bag over his shoulder. Horatio held out a bag from a deli to Ryan. "Eat" was all he said before he went to find Frank in the control room.<p>

Ryan opened the bag and looked in. There were a couple of sandwiches lying at the bottom. Ryan picked one up and examined it. It was turkey, Ryan's favorite. He didn't doubt that Jessica had mentioned this to Horatio at some point. Ryan began picking at the sandwich. He placed it on the coffee table and hung his head in his hands.

"I know you're not done eating that." he heard Horatio say. Ryan looked up to see his boss walking back into the living room. "You need to eat something, Ryan. I know you didn't have any lunch today and I can bet you didn't have breakfast."  
>Ryan sighed and picked the sandwich back up. "Jessica and I were going to go out for brunch this morning when we were done at the lab." He took a bite and choked it down. His throat felt so dry.<p>

Horatio pulled the other sandwich from the bag and sat in an armchair. He began slowly eating the sandwich, but his thoughts were with Jessica.

"H," Ryan said, "Why was Jessica slurring her words?"

Horatio sighed; he knew this was going to happen. "When Jessica was twelve she started dealing heroin. Not long after that she began shooting up herself. She thought she could hide it from Brian, but what Jessica didn't know was that every time she was high she started slurring her words horribly."

Ryan sat there on the couch just staring at his sandwich. "So she was high on heroin when we saw her?" he quietly asked.

Horatio slowly nodded his head. "I think so."  
>"Do you think it was heroin in the needle we saw him inject into her?"<p>

Horatio bit his lip and hesitated, but he knew Ryan deserved the truth. "Yes, I think it was."

Ryan dropped the sandwich to the coffee table again and buried his face in his hands. Horatio set his down and walked around the table to the other man. He wrapped his arms around Ryan's shoulders and rubbed his back.

"He's going to kill our baby, isn't he?" Ryan asked.

Horatio leaned his head on top of Ryan's. It pained him to answer. "I don't know Ryan."  
>"He is, and then he's going to kill Jessica." Ryan said.<p>

Horatio held Ryan closer. "That I can guarantee won't happen."

* * *

><p>Horatio walked through the halls of the safe house. It was late at night and he was restless. He had sent Ryan to bed three hours ago and had set up a bed for himself on the couch. As he passed Ryan's room to go use the bathroom Horatio paused and listened outside the door. He could hear someone crying inside. Horatio hesitated but opened the door and quietly walked in.<p>

It was dark but Horatio could see that Ryan was lying on his side away from the door. His whole body was shaking slightly and Horatio could hear the muffled sobs. Horatio walked over to the bed and turned on the lamp on the night stand. Ryan blinked because of the sudden light and rolled over onto his back. He looked up at Horatio for a moment before he buried his face back in the pillow and began to cry harder.

"Ryan," Horatio softly said, "I'm sorry this happened."  
>"It's not your fault, H." Ryan said between sobs, "It's my fault. I should have never gotten out of that car. I shouldn't have let her go. The last thing I ever wanted to do was leave Jessica and that's exactly what I did. Even worse, I sent her to her death."<br>"Ryan, look at me." Horatio said, as he sat on the bed next to him. Ryan rolled over and looked at Horatio with his bloodshot eyes and tear streaked face.

"None of this is your fault. James took her just like he did all those years ago. When James killed Brian Jessica reacted the same way. She believed it was her fault and if only she could go back and stop James then everything would have been ok." Horatio couldn't help but stroke Ryan's hair like he did Jessica's when she was upset; it seemed to be his father instincts. "But Jessica always believed that everything happened for a reason. She told me one day that she believes the reason she met James is so that she could one day meet you, her real soul mate." Horatio placed his hand on Ryan's cheek, and he felt the younger man lean into it. "Ryan something good is going to come out of this. We're going to get Jessica back and everything will eventually return back to normal."

Tears rolled down Ryan's face and onto Horatio's hand. "I hope you're right, H."

Horatio took Ryan's hand and squeezed it. "I know I am."

Ryan continued to cry for a few minutes holding onto Horatio's hand. His sobbing slowed down and his breathing began to even out. Soon Horatio felt Ryan's grip on his hand loosen and eventually his hand went limp. Horatio stood up from the bed and looked down at the now sleeping Ryan. His face was still tear streaked and new ones were now starting to form under his eyelashes. Horatio had only ever seen one other person cry in their sleep like that, and the thought made Horatio's heart ache seeing just how alike his daughter and Ryan were. Horatio smiled to himself and turned off the light. Though he was worried about the safety of his daughter Horatio was glad that she had finally found someone who loved her for who she was.


	12. Failed Message

Failed Message

Ryan woke up to someone shaking his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see Horatio hovering over him. Horatio gave him a weak smile. "Good morning" Horatio said to him.

"Morning" Ryan said, rubbing his eyes, "What time is it?"

"6:30am, we're leaving for the lab by 7:30am." Horatio said before he walked out of the room.

Ryan groaned and rolled out of bed. He grabbed a change of clothes and walked to the bathroom. After a quick shower and shave Ryan walked into the kitchen of the safe house. Frank and his team had clearly already eaten and Horatio stood at the stove cooking. Ryan walked over and saw that Horatio was making chocolate chip pancakes.

"Aww, did you make those just for me?" Ryan attempted to joke. He was still having some difficulty functioning knowing Jessica was in danger.

Horatio smiled nonetheless. "As a matter of fact I did. I thought you could use a little pick me up."

"Did Jessica tell you all these things about me? I mean my favorite foods and what not."  
>"Well, she has mentioned from time to time and I've made my own observations over the years, but I took a wild guess about the pancakes." Horatio smiled at him. "Chocolate chip are Jessie Bug's favorite."<p>

Ryan smiled. "I knew there was a reason I fell in love with her." He felt embarrassed about the statement as soon as he had said it. "I mean there are other reasons that are far better than our similar interests in food but I-"

Horatio nudged him in the ribs. "Relax Mr. Wolfe, I'm not going to try and break you and my daughter apart. Jessie Bug's a strong spirited person. Even if I forced her to move away and not tell you where she was she would still try and find you and come back." He smiled at Ryan, making him feel more at ease.

"Thanks H." Ryan said.

"You're very welcome Mr. Wolfe. Besides," Horatio said, "I think Jessica found a good one this time. I told her she better keep a good hold on this one so he won't get away."

Ryan smiled shyly and felt the tips of his ears burn.

* * *

><p>Ryan and Horatio walked into the lab. It was almost 8:00am, giving them an hour to set up and get ready for James's call. Ryan went and got each of them a cup of coffee from the break room while Horatio went to their set up in the lab. Ryan met up with Horatio and handed him the Styrofoam cup. Horatio didn't miss Ryan's hand shaking.<p>

"Relax Mr. Wolfe," Horatio said, "We're going to find her."  
>"I know H, it's just so difficult." Ryan said, trying to remain calm. He admired Horatio's ability to hide his emotions, despite the fact that Ryan knew Horatio was torn up inside over Jessica's kidnapping.<p>

* * *

><p>Jessica rolled over and groaned. Her head was pounding and her skin felt like it was crawling. She could tell she was coming down from a massive heroin high, suspecting that someone had injected her during the night.<p>

Jessica tried to move and sit up, but remembered her hands were still tied together. Everything hurt and the pounding in her head was getting worse. She pulled at the ropes but they wouldn't give. Jessica curled up into a tight ball, attempting to stretch her back to work the kinks out.

Heavy footsteps coming down the stairs interrupted her thoughts. Jessica looked up to see James and a few other men walking down the stairs. Tommy was with them. She silently pleaded with him with her eyes, but Tommy wouldn't even look at her. Jessica curled up and prepared for whatever was going to happen.

"Good morning Izzy." James said, "I'm glad to see you woke up just in time to call Lieutenant Caine. But I think first we should 'catch up' on the last fourteen years. You know, the time that you made me rot in jail. I've missed you and there's something that I've wanted to do for quite some time now." James advanced towards her, unclasping his belt.

Jessica began to panic and tried to pull her hands free. "Please don't! No! Not again!"

* * *

><p>9:00am on the dot Horatio heard the chirping of his computer, indicating someone was calling him on Skype. He looked at the screen and could see Jessica's number flashing. Horatio hit the record button and accepted the call.<p>

The screen was filled with a young man whose hair was buzzed so short Horatio could see his scalp. He was dirty looking and his teeth were yellow with a few missing.

"Hello Lieutenant," the man said, "My name is Phillip."  
>"Where's my daughter?" Horatio growled at the man.<p>

"Oh she and James are catching up a bit. In fact I bet you can hear her. James has missed her so much while he's been away." The man turned the phone and walked across the room. Cries of pain suddenly flowed from the speakers of the department computer as a new scene came into view.

"Nooo! Stop! Please don't!" Horatio had no doubts it was Jessica screaming.

"What are you doing to her?" Horatio yelled, "Where is my daughter?"

"Would you like to see for yourself?" Phillip flipped the camera and he had a nasty grin on his face. "Hey James, Caine wants to see Izzy."

"Let him!" Horatio heard James's voice say from somewhere in the room. Phillip looked one more time at the camera with his cold dark eyes and then turned the phone back around towards the ground.

Horatio swore his heart stopped at the sight that met his eyes. There was James with his pants down below his butt. Jessica was pinned underneath him on the ground with her legs spread far part and her dress pulled up to almost her shoulders. She had tears streaming down her face and her hands were tied above her head. James was forcefully thrusting inside Jessica. Horatio could see blood running down his daughter's thighs.

"Hello Lieutenant Caine," James grunted, "I didn't know you where into this kind of thing."

"Get off of her!" Horatio yelled, "Leave my daughter alone!"

James laughed and pulled back before ramming his pelvis hard against Jessica's. "Daughter? You never had a daughter Caine." Jessica continued to scream and try to get away from the pain.

"Yes I do! And you're hurting her right now!"

James laughed his cold laugh again. "Izzy isn't your daughter. Brian and Jessica are her parents."

"She's my daughter now and her name is Jessica!"

"Well I don't know who Jessica is but this is Elizabeth Johnson and she's my girlfriend." James leaned down and kissed Jessica on the cheek.

Horatio slammed his fist onto the desk and smashed the mouse into several pieces. "James you stop what you're doing right now or I swear to God I will kill you!" Horatio yelled.

James laughed yet again. "Good, you would only be doing me a favor." He nodded towards the camera and the screen went blank.

Horatio felt his blood boil. He stood from the desk and walked from the room. He walked through the halls for awhile fuming. He wanted to hurt someone and knew that someone was James. The thought of that man enraged Horatio again. He turned and pulled his fist back, but before he could make contact with the wall someone grabbed his arm.

Horatio turned around to see Ryan standing there holding his arm. "Breaking your hand won't do you any good in finding your daughter."  
>Horatio dropped his hand and looked at Ryan. He had almost lost control. He couldn't do that again. "I'm sorry Ryan."<p>

Ryan tried to give him a reassuring smile. "It's alright, but I think Ben might be mad that you broke the computer mouse."  
>Horatio chuckled a little and tried to smile. "Let's go get that bastard."<p>

* * *

><p>Jessica laid there emotionless. She had a new throbbing pain in between her legs and she could feel herself bleeding. Three men had already taken advantage of her after James and she knew when she heard a few sets of feet stumbling down the stairs and voices more were to come.<p>

"Come on Thomas! You can do it!"

"Did you take that Viagra? It'll help you get it up!"

"But I'd rather not."  
>"Well how do you expected to get rid of that boner you have now? None of us want it you little fag!"<p>

Tommy's body came crashing down on top of Jessica's. He wasn't wearing any pants and he had an erection. He looked terrified. There were two other men with him.

"Come on Thomas, do you want to be a Crip King or not?" one of them asked.

"You'll be fine! We already did it and our dicks have never been better!"

"But, but," Thomas stuttered, "This is rape."

One of them men slapped Tommy across the back of his head. "Shut up you little pussy and fuck her!" Jessica heard the click of the safety of a gun and could see one man's arm outstretched behind Tommy's head.

Tommy looked at Jessica with pain in his eyes. He leaned down next to Jessica's ear and whispered "I'm sorry" as he pushed himself inside her. Tommy was hesitating, making it less painful. Tommy must have been nervous because it only took him a few minutes before he hit his release. He carefully pulled out and stood up.

"Alright Thomas!"

"We knew you had it in you!"

The men linked their arms through Tommy's and dragged him back up the stairs.

Jessica curled up and squeezed her legs together. She had long ran out of tears and now just laid there feeling empty. She concentrated on her baby but it had been hours since she felt it move. Jessica feared James had ruined the one shot she had at happiness.

Soft footsteps on the stairs interrupted her thoughts, but Jessica didn't even turn to see who it was. Someone knelt beside her and she watched slender hands cut apart the ropes binding her hands. Those same hands helped her sit up and leaned against the pole she had been imprisoned against. Jessica looked up to see Tommy's young face tear stained.

Tommy held out a bottle of water and held a few pills in his open palm. "It's Advil, I promise." he said to her. Jessica tentatively took the pills from Tommy and popped them in her mouth. She chased them with the water and leaned against the pole. Tommy held out an apple with a shaking hand to Jessica. She took it and looked it over. "It's safe, I swear it is." Jessica took a bite and the sweet taste of the fruit filled her mouth.

Tommy sat down about two feet away from her. He glanced at her and then darted his eyes to the ground. Jessica didn't miss the tears that were forming in his eyes.

"I'm really sorry." he practically whispered, "I didn't want to but they laced my food with Viagra. They told me I had to do it to become a Crip King. When I said I didn't want to they threaten to kill me." Tommy buried his face in his hands and his whole body shook with his sobs. "I'm so sorry! I'm a dirty low life like them! I knew this was a bad idea but George and David said we needed the protection after mom and dad died!"

Jessica couldn't help but feel sorry for the young boy. She set down the water and apple and pulled Tommy onto her lap and held him.

"It's alright Tommy, I forgive you." she whispered, "I could tell you didn't want to do it."  
>"But I did it anyways! I hurt you! I'm a terrible person!"<p>

"Tommy, have you been marked yet?"

Tommy shook his head. "James said after this is all done then he'll be the one to mark me."  
>"Don't do it Tommy." Jessica said, placing her hands on his face, "Get out while you can!"<p>

"But if I try to leave they'll kill me!" Tommy started sobbing harder and leaned his head against Jessica's shoulder.

That's when Jessica felt it. There was a bulge in Tommy's back pocket. She leaned her head carefully around his shoulders and looked down. She could see the top of a cell phone sticking out of his pocket. Jessica took a chance. She carefully lifted her one hand from its place on Tommy's back and slipped her middle and forefingers into Tommy's pocket. She slowly pulled the phone out of his pocket. She quickly slid it under her skirt and placed her hand back on Tommy's back and resumed rubbing his back.

After awhile Tommy finally stopped crying. He picked his head up and looked at Jessica.

"Jessie," he said, taking Jessica by surprise having someone use her real name, "Is it possible to get away from the Crip Kings?"

Jessica smiled weakly at him. "Yes Tommy. Even though they found me I was hidden for fourteen years. You can still get away. You have to Tommy, or this gang will destroy your life like it's destroyed mine!"

"But how?"

"You haven't been marked yet so you'll be able to hide easier." Jessica looked into Tommy's brown eyes. "We can do this Tommy, we can get you away. You'll just have to trust me."  
>"But I've already done all these terrible things. I injected you with heroin when you were sleeping last night and I raped you."<p>

"Tommy listen to me, I will help you. You didn't want to do all of this but you were forced into those things. We can prove the others made you do it."  
>"Will I still go to jail?"<p>

"I won't lie to you Tommy, you probably will go to jail but you'll get out. You won't have to rot in there like James. Please Tommy just get out now while you can."

Tommy blinked back tears. He wrapped his arms around Jessica's shoulders and started to cry again. "I promise, as soon as I can I'm leaving the gang."  
>Jessica returned the young man's hug and smiled. "Good" was all she said.<p>

* * *

><p>Horatio paced around the lab. It had been hours since James had called and Horatio was starting to become a nervous wreck. Ryan wasn't doing much better. He couldn't seem to sit still and he kept pestering Eric and Jesse in the Trace lab.<p>

"Hey Ryan," Jesse said when Ryan walked in for about the fourteenth time, "How's it going?"

"I can't do this anymore." Ryan said, "I need to see her. James is going to kill her, I just know it. Oh god, this is all my fault." Ryan rubbed his face vigorously.

"Ry, relax." Erica said, "We're going to find her. Jessica's a tough one; she'll be able to hold out her own against those guys. I mean hell she beat Walter at arm wrestling, and trust me he's not an easier competitor."

Ryan smiled at his friend's attempt to put his mind at ease. "Thanks guys."

"Well I guess Jessica must have taken on the nickname of 'One Shot Stone' from her mother." Calleigh said as she walked into the lab with Horatio.

"How so?" Horatio asked.

"Both the dead gang members died from a single gunshot wound to the head. It was a dead on kill. And she did it all while she was driving. I can't lie, I'm impressed." She gave Horatio a hopeful smile.

Horatio smiled weakly. "All Jessica wanted when she was growing up was to become just like her mother. It looks like she got her wish after all. How are things going here Eric, Jesse?"

"Not so good H." Eric said, "We can't find any trace evidence that can give us even the slightest clue as to where they took Jessica."

Ryan's phone buzzed at that exact moment. He pulled it out to see there was a text from Jessica.

"Oh my god, H," he said, "I think James might have sent me a message. What should I do?"

"Open it Ryan, he might be able to give us some indication of where he's at." Horatio said.

Ryan tapped the screen and a picture filled the screen with a message underneath it. The color drained from Ryan's face as the phone fell from his hand to the table. Horatio dove for the young man as Ryan collapsed to the floor.

"Oh god, Ryan!" Horatio yelled. He held Ryan against his body as he started to hyperventilate. "We're going to need some medical help here. Eric, go find one of the EMTs!"

"Right!" Eric said as he ran from the lab.

Calleigh looked down at the phone. She hesitantly picked it up and looked at the screen.

"Oh my god!" she gasped at the sight on the screen.

"What is it?" Jesse asked, walking around the table to Calleigh.

Calleigh couldn't speak. She covered her mouth with her hand and shook her head. She handed the phone to Jesse. Jesse looked at the screen as a sickening feeling washed over him.

Hanging from the end of a thin metal hook was a tiny body. It was covered in blood and it looked mangled. Jesse could see Jessica in the background crying with a pool of blood underneath her. Below the picture was a message-

'Daddy you weren't here to save me!'

Jesse couldn't imagine what Ryan was feeling in that moment. He looked at his friend sitting on the floor now being examined by an EMT as Horatio continued to try and calm him down.

Eric walked back into the room and went straight to Jesse.

"Jesse, what was in that message?" he asked.

Jesse laid the phone face down on the table and shook his head. "You're better off not seeing it Eric."

"Can you tell me what it said?"

Jesse took a deep breathe and looked at Eric. "Ryan's no longer a father."

Eric's eye grew huge and his face went pale. "Oh god no."

* * *

><p>Jessica laid there on the floor as the blood continued to pour out of her. He had done it again. James had killed another one of her children. Even worse he had taken pictures of it and sent one to Ryan. Jessica cried at the loss of her child. She thought she was finally going to be able to keep one of her babies at last and James wouldn't be able to hurt this one.<p>

How could she have been wrong again?

Jessica placed her hand in between her breast. She could feel Tommy's cell phone tucked under her bra. She was amazed no one had found it yet. Jessica couldn't help but wonder if Tommy had realized it was missing yet. If he had he must have known where it was. Jessica wanted to call her father right then, but knew it would be a bad idea. She needed to wait until the right moment, and now was not the time.

* * *

><p>Horatio and the EMT had finally managed to calm Ryan down. He was now lying on the couch in Horatio's office. He had the trash can sitting next to him and a bottle of Sprite. Ryan had already vomited three times as a result of being so upset and shocked.<p>

Horatio walked in and looked at Ryan. He was so pale and Horatio could see his hands visibly shaking. Horatio knelt beside the couch and placed one of his hands over Ryan's on his stomach and the other on his forehead.

"How are you feeling?" Horatio quietly asked him.

"Better," Ryan barely whispered.

Horatio squeezed one of Ryan's hands. "I'm so sorry Ryan."

Ryan couldn't help but let new tears form in his eyes. "We were so excited we were going to have a baby." he choked out, "I can't believe he did that to us. We were so happy. We were going to be a family. And now it's all ruined."

"We're going to find him Ryan." Horatio said, "And when we do I'm going to kill him."

* * *

><p>Horatio walked back into the lab just in time to hear the computer chirp. He walked straight to it and hit the record button himself before he answered.<p>

James's face filled the screen with his horrid grin. "Lieutenant Caine," he said, "How has your day been going? I hear you got to see your first grandchild this afternoon."  
>"You son of a bitch! How could you do that to my Jessica?" Horatio yelled.<p>

James laughed. "I guess no one ever taught Officer Wolfe he needed to wrap it before he tapped it. Careless little boy."  
>"You sick bastard! Tell me where you are and give me back my daughter!"<p>

James laughed again. "Why? So you can come find us before you get your present?"  
>Horatio looked at him confused. "What do you mean?"<p>

"Why don't you go check the elevator?" James said. Then the screen went black and the call ended. Horatio hit the record button again and walked out into the hall.

Horatio looked at the elevator and the doors opened. He could see a box sitting in the cart. When he was closer Horatio could see it was a shoe box. His years on the bomb squad told him not to touch it but his instincts as a father pushed him forward.

Horatio looked down at the box and knelt to the ground. It wasn't sealed and Horatio couldn't hear anything mechanical inside. He carefully lifted the lid and looked inside. There in a bloody mess lied a tiny baby. It was only about as big as Horatio's hand and it looked like it had had a hard time.

Horatio's stomach knotted and he felt sick. He closed the box and picked it. He walked through the lab and straight to the morgue. Horatio found Tom examining a body that had been put off from the day before when Jessica went missing. Horatio set the box on an open table.

Tom looked at Horatio and the box. "What's that?" he asked.

"Tom, I don't know if it's possible but can you examine this for me?" Horatio said, removing the lid. Tom pulled off his gloves and replaced them with a fresh pair. He looked into the box and felt his heart sink.

"Oh no Horatio," he said, "Please tell me this isn't Jessica's."

"I wish I could Tom." Horatio said, "Can you tell if this child died before it was aborted?"

"I can't be certain, but I can give you a good estimate." Tom lifted the small body from the box and walked over to the sink. He took several samples of the blood on the body and placed them in separate envelopes and labeled them for DNA to test.

Tom delicately washed the blood off the tiny body and carefully dried it with paper towels. He placed it back on the table and turned the light on overhead. Tom looked over the delicate body, squinting and using a magnifying lens.

"She has some deep bruising, which is probably from someone hitting Jessica's stomach." Tom said, "It appears these tears are from someone trying to fish her out and not getting a good grip. Her arm is missing, it looks like it's been torn off, probably when she was pulled out. These's a tiny puncture wound here. Was Jessica stuck with anything? Any needles maybe?"

"James injected something into her abdomen yesterday. Do you think that needle could have been long enough to hit the baby?"

"If Jessica was lying on her back it's possible the baby floated upwards and the needle could have hit her." Tom grabbed a syringe. He stuck it into the tiny body and extracted a sample. He removed the needle and placed it in a container to send to Trace. "Travers should be able to tell us what was in the needle and if it got to the baby. Do you have any idea what it could have been?"

"I believe James injected Jessica with heroin."  
>Tom sighed, "If that's the case then this little girl was dead within hours of James injecting her, maybe even minutes depending on the strength of the drug. Heroin directly into a fetus is a deadly combination."<br>"Did the baby suffer?"

Tom shook his head. "If she did it was for a short time at least. The heroin would have fried her central nervous system and she would have lost all sensation." Tom looked over the tiny body once more. "Going by her injuries and the possibility of heroin being injected into her I would say this little girl was long dead before James ripped her out."

"Why do you keep calling the baby 'her'?" Horatio asked.

"Because," Tom said, "Her genital have already started forming."

* * *

><p>Horatio walked into the DNA lab and found Natalia running some tests. "Hey H." she said when he entered the room. Horatio placed a tray on the table and looked at Natalia with an expression Natalia had never seen before.<p>

"Natalia I need you to stop your tests and move this one to the top of your pile." Horatio said.

Natalia looked into the tray and saw the fetus along with two small evidence envelopes labeled with Jessica and Ryan's names and some samples from Tom.

"Will hair samples work for this kind of test? Because that's the only thing I could get at this point." Horatio said.

Natalia nodded her head. "Yeah I think so." She said softly. She stopped the machine and pulled out her samples, placing them back in order in the tray. "I'll let you know when it's done."

"Thank you Natalia." Horatio said. With that he turned and walked back to his office.

* * *

><p>Ryan had been lying on the couch for about two hours now. Grief was still running through his veins like fire. He looked at the door when it opened and saw Horatio walk in. Ryan slowly sat up on the couch and took a drink of his soda.<p>

"How are you?" Horatio asked.

Ryan shrugged his shoulders. "As good as I'm going to get knowing that my first child is now dead and my girlfriend is in extreme danger." Ryan sniffed and rubbed one of his eyes, trying to mask the fact he was crying again. Horatio pulled the younger man in and held him.

"This is how it felt?" Ryan asked.

"How what felt?" Horatio asked him in response.

"When Izzy died." Ryan quietly said, "Did you feel like your whole world came crashing down on you and nothing was ever going to be the same? That your future was no longer going to be what you had wanted it to be?"

Horatio sighed and held Ryan tighter. "Yes, but not as bad. Izzy was gone but I had Jessica to take her place. Though they were the same person I viewed them as different people. Jessica is nothing like what Izzy used to be. Loosing a child is hard though, no matter what the circumstances."  
>"Did you mean it when you told Stetler that you miss Izzy every day and it hurts knowing you'll never see her again?"<p>

"Yes, Jessica isn't Izzy. Izzy was like a daughter to me. She was my daughter for a few months and then she became Jessica. I'll never forget that night that Izzy officially became Jessica. We were almost asleep when she asked me to call her Jessica from now on. The next day I called her Izzy out of habit and she didn't respond. I thought it was just her being definite, but she really hadn't noticed and didn't respond because I hadn't said her name."  
>Ryan knew what night Horatio was talking about, but he didn't think now was the time to bring up the matter.<p>

"Lieutenant Caine," said an officer standing in the doorway of Horatio's office, "We're receiving a call from Jessica's phone right now."

Horatio sprang from the couch. "Thank you Thompson." He said. Horatio barely made it out the door when he realized Ryan was following him again. Horatio looked at him. "Ryan do you really think this is a good idea right now?"

"I don't care, I just need to see her."

* * *

><p>Horatio walked into the lab to see James's face on the computer screen. "Lieutenant Caine, how was the time you spent with your grandchild this afternoon?"<p>

"Shut your fucking mouth James. What do you want?" Horatio snapped at him.

"Well Lieutenant if you're just going to act like that maybe I won't play nice anymore." James gestured to someone out of range of the camera. There was a slight snapping noise and a woman's voice cried out in pain.

"What did you do to her?" Horatio shouted.

"Oh not much." James turned the camera. Jessica was being held against the wall by three men. Her left hand was held by one of the large gang members. Her pinky was mangled and bent at a weird angle. The man grabbed her ring finger and bent it back until there was another snapping noise. Jessica screamed and blood ran out of her mouth.

"Stop it James! Please stop hurting her!" Horatio yelled.

The man took hold of her left middle finger and broke it, too. He then released his grip on her hand. Jessica's head fell back against the wall as her painful sobs penetrated the speakers.

James's face came back into view and he gave Horatio that nasty grin of his. "You know Lieutenant I heard some rumors about you and your so called daughter." James said snidely, "I hear you have feelings for her that aren't so fatherly. Is it true you used to masturbate to the thought of her?"

"I would never do something like that!" Horatio barked, "Now leave Jessica alone!"

James laughed. "You know what else I heard, you slept with her. Your own daughter; you adopted her and then you fucked her. Isn't that true Lieutenant?"

"I never slept with Jessica! She's my daughter and I love her very much!"

James made a clicking noise and shook his head. "Tisk, tisk Lieutenant, you should never tell lies." James gestured at the large man that had broken Jessica's fingers. He picked a sledge hammer and took a step back. He swung the hammer at Jessica and hit her shoulder. There was a shattering sound and Jessica screamed.

Horatio closed his eyes and fought back his desire to punch the computer. "Please James stop."

"Well then tell the truth Lieutenant Caine!" The man walked over to Jessica's other shoulder. He lined the hammer up and prepared to swing back.

Horatio couldn't take it anymore. "Stop!" Horatio yelled. He sat there for a moment, pain streaked across his face. "I did, I had sex with Izzy. Please don't hurt my daughter anymore."

The man dropped the hammer to the ground. James laughed. "See how much easier things are when you tell the truth, you dirty old man." James looked at the man again. He picked up a pair of bolt cutters. "Too bad you didn't tell the truth the first time." Another one of the men grabbed Jessica's right hand and held out her forefinger. Jessica screamed and started to beg James. "No, please don't! Please stop!" James grinned at Horatio one last time and the screen went black.

Horatio sat there fighting to keep control. He had admitted to the one secret he and Jessica swore they would never tell, and he had done it in front of Ryan. He could feel all eyes in the room locked on him, probably in horror or disgust.

Horatio walked out of the lab, he needed to get away from everyone. He ran down the hall, not really sure where he was going. Ryan ran after him. Ryan knew Horatio needed him this time.

Horatio ran into the locker room, but he wasn't quick enough to lock the door. Ryan barged in and locked the door behind him. They stood there and looked at each other awkwardly. Horatio finally broke the silence.

"You probably think I'm a terrible person now."

Ryan shook his head. "I already knew." Horatio looked at him surprised. "Jessica told me just a few days ago." Ryan explained, "She told me awhile ago that she doesn't want there to be anymore secrets about her past so she's been telling me things about when she was Izzy."  
>Horatio looked at Ryan with sadness in his blue eyes. "She told you about that night?"<p>

Ryan nodded. "She said she felt I had the right to know. And I'm not disgusted with you. Izzy needed you and you did the one thing that would help heal her. It was her dying wish."

Horatio felt tears form in his eyes and he sank towards the ground. Ryan wrapped his arms around boss and held him close. "You're an incredible person Horatio Caine. You saved Jessica's life so many times, and now we're going to do it again."

* * *

><p>Jessica laid on the floor. It felt like everything in her body hurt. Her shoulder was lying at an uncomfortable angle and she couldn't move her arm. She held up her right hand and stretched her fingers. James hadn't cut them off; it was only a scare tactic for Horatio.<p>

Tommy came stumbling down the stairs crying. His hand was wrapped in a bandanna and it was covered in blood. He knelt down by Jessica and helped her sit up. He handed her more Advil and water and carefully began setting her shoulder. He used several other bandannas to create a sling and tie it tightly against Jessica's body.

"I know it's not exactly right but that's the best I can do." Tommy sniffled.

Jessica gave him a weak smile. "You were a Boy Scout, weren't you Tommy?"

Tommy nodded his head. "My goal was to become an Eagle Scout."  
>Jessica laid her good hand on his cheek. "You can still do it Tommy. Get away and go back to school. Get your diploma and become an Eagle Scout."<br>Tommy nodded his head and cried more. He held up his hand. "They cut off my finger."

Jessica looked at the young boy and pulled him in for a hug. "I'm so sorry Tommy."

"I'm taking it to Lieutenant Caine." Tommy said, "I'm suppose to deliver it and claim it's belongs to you."  
>Jessica looked at him intensely. "When you get to the Crime Lab stay there. Explain to Horatio that you've been helping me. He can protect you."<p>

Tommy shook his head. "It won't work. They're strapping a bomb to me. I don't know if it's real but I don't want to find out the hard way. If I don't come back James says they'll detonate it." Tommy looked into Jessica's eyes. "It'll kill your father and all your friends. I can't hurt you anymore."

Jessica kissed Tommy's forehead. "It's alright. Just tell him I'm still alive."

* * *

><p>The phone rang and Horatio answered quickly, barely giving anyone a chance to hit the record button. "This is Horatio Caine."<p>

"Lieutenant Caine," James voice said, "I have another present for you. It should be coming up on the elevator right now." The line went dead and Horatio hung up the phone. He walked into the hall and watched the elevator doors open.

The young man couldn't have been more than seventeen years old. He exited the elevator and walked straight to Horatio. Horatio could see the bomb attached to the young man's chest. He had another shoe box in his hands. His right hand was wrapped in a bandanna. The young man held the box out to Horatio who carefully took it from him. The boy looked at him one last time.

"She's still alive, I promise. I won't let him kill her." he said to Horatio.

"What do you mean?" Horatio asked him.

"My name is Tommy Sherzer and I've been trying to keep Jessica alive."

Horatio looked at the young man, unsure of whether to believe him or not.

"Don't kill him." Tommy said, "Don't kill James. He's marked himself for a suicide mission. He wants you to kill him after he kills Jessica. I've been doing my best to keep her alive but I don't know how much longer she has."  
>Horatio couldn't believe what this young man was telling him, but he knew he had to trust him.<p>

"Where are you keeping her?" Horatio asked.

Tommy shook his head. "I can't stay any longer, they'll know something's up. I don't know if this bomb is real or not and I don't want to find out the hard way." Tommy started backing up towards the elevator. "We're on a boat though. It's a really large old fishing boat." Tommy stepped onto the elevator and pressed the button. "I'm sorry I can't stay and help." The doors closed and Horatio was left alone with the box.

Horatio didn't want to open the lid, because he knew what was inside. He lifted the lid anyways and could see the bloody finger lying at the bottom. He examined it for a moment and then went to find Ryan. Ryan was still sitting in the lab, now nursing a cup of coffee in an attempt to sooth his nerves.

"Ryan, did Jessica have her nails painted?" Horatio asked him.

Ryan thought the question over for a minute or so. "You know I think she did. When we were in the Keys she got acrylics that were tipped teal with stars or flowers when I treated her to a spa trip." Ryan considered it for a moment. "Yeah she was talking about getting them removed because they were bothering her." Ryan hadn't realized he was talking to himself; Horatio had left the room at some point. Ryan sighed and walked to the Trace lab again.

* * *

><p>Horatio walked into the DNA lab. Natalia looked surprised to see him.<p>

"Sorry H, those samples are quite done yet.." she said.

"That's fine, can you run samples from this, too?" Horatio asked. He opened the box and Natalia looked in.

"Oh dear, I hope that's from one of their guys."  
>"Actually I think it might be." Horatio said, "See how the nail is chewed on? Jessica thought nail biting was a disgusting habit. Ryan told me she had acrylics, too. If someone had pulled them off what would the nail look like?"<p>

"Well it would have glue residue on it and it would be pretty torn up." Natalia responded, she looked at the finger, "Which I don't see either of those things on this nail. I'll pop a sample in one of the other machines while these samples are running."

"Thank you Natalia." Horatio said. With that he walked out of the DNA lab.

* * *

><p>Horatio found Ryan sitting in the lab on a couch. He was sitting sideways and his knees were drawn up to his chest. He was looking out the window behind the couch with a dazed look on his face. Ryan's thoughts were off somewhere with Jessica. He was brought back to the world when Horatio sat next to him on the couch.<p>

"Still doing ok?" Horatio asked him. Ryan nodded his head. "It's difficult, but I just want to find her now." Ryan said, "It's like part of me is lost. I can't function."

"Makes you wonder how you lived without her?" Horatio asked.

"Yeah," Ryan said, "She's such a big part of my life now." Ryan paused for a moment. "She said she wants to get a dog."

Horatio smiled. "Does she now?"

Ryan smiled and nodded his head. "She said she's wanted one for a long time but with all her grad work she didn't think it would be fair for the poor animal to be alone all the time. Jessie said when she graduates she wants to adopt a dog." Ryan's smile faded slowly. "I told her let's focus on the baby first."

Horatio placed his hand on Ryan's knee and squeezed his hand. "We're going to get her back, I promise."

Natalia walked into the lab with several print outs in a file. "Horatio I need to ask you some questions." She sat next to Horatio and Ryan on the couch and pulled out some test results.

"The finger did not come back as Jessica's. In fact I got nothing on it. I think they may have soaked it in bleach or some other kind of ammonia because it keeps coming back as inconclusive."

"Well the young man had his hand wrapped up. It was in a red bandanna, but it may have been another color before." Horatio said.

"The blood did come back as Jessica's though." Natalia paused for a moment, unsure of how to continue. "I also got some weird results with that." Natalia pulled out more test results. "When I ran the blood the first time Jessica came up and you." She pointed to the test results where the blood was a 98.7% match to Jessica and a 1.3% match to Horatio.

"I gave Jessica blood and a kidney years ago. Since then I always come up in her results because the test detects my blood." Horatio said. "And what do you mean 'the first time'?"

"Well I thought maybe I got a cross contamination from you holding the box, but then the machine beeped again indicating there was another contributor." Natalia pulled out another print out. The name Elizabeth Renee Johnson Caine indicated having a 98.7% match also. "So I ran the tests two more times, since something had to have gone wrong. I even cleaned the machine but I kept getting these results." Natalia looked at Horatio. "H, who's Elizabeth? This says she lived in Chicago and she's been dead for almost fourteen years. There's no way a dead teenage girl's blood could be mixed in with Jessica's at that high of a concentration."

Horatio sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Because that's who Jessica used to be. When she was fourteen Jessica went into the witness protection program and changed her name. CODIS isn't suppose to throw her name out when Jessica's blood is tested. I don't know why it did."

Natalia chewed over the information for a minute. "So when you've mentioned this Izzy girl you've been talking about Jessie?"

"No," Horatio said sternly, "Izzy and Jessica are not the same person."  
>"That's why she has the phoenix." Ryan said. Horatio looked at him confused. "She said the phoenix on her back is representative of when her Godfather adopted her, her rebirth into the world." Horatio smiled. "I'm glad you finally caught onto to that one Mr. Wolfe."<p>

"So Jessica used to be Elizabeth and now she's Jessica, but CODIS isn't supposed to be telling me this." Natalia reflected, "Do you think someone hacked into CODIS?"  
>Horatio shook his head. "Not even the best hacker can get into CODIS, and trust me Jessie Bug has tried." Horatio rolled his eyes. "Bored my ass, that girl didn't see the outside of her room for a week. She quickly learned that hacking into computer systems wasn't the thing to do when she was bored."<p>

Ryan couldn't help but laugh. "You grounded her?"

"Well she was only fourteen when she tried."

"Fourteen? Damn, maybe I don't want to date her. Freakin' genius that one."

"So if it's not a hacker what is it?" Natalia asked.

Horatio thought it over and shrugged his shoulders. "An inconsistency, somewhere along the chain of command Florida was never changed. I'll have to get back to someone about that one. Please continue though Natalia."

"Well that's about it. The finger belongs to an unknown donor and the blood is Jessica's." Natalia explained, "The finger is probably not Jessica's based off the information provided and the evidence not lining up with the condition that the finger was in."

"Thank you Natalia." Horatio said. Natalia stood up and walked back to her lab.

"Now what?" Ryan asked. Horatio exhaled an exasperated breathe. "Well we have a few more hours before the night shift comes in." Horatio said, "I guess do as we have been; keep busy and wait." Ryan sighed, "I was afraid you were going to say that.

* * *

><p>Ryan was bored and anxious. Sitting around waiting for James to call was killing him. Travers had banned him from the Trace lab and Tom wouldn't let him anywhere near the morgue. It wasn't that they didn't want to try and comfort Ryan; they were just having troubles with his OCD tendencies starting to get out of control. Ryan was running out of places to go.<p>

Ryan walked into the DNA lab to find Natalia picking up a print out of the results of a test from the printer. There was a tray on the counter and Ryan couldn't see what was inside. He pulled on a pair of gloves, not really knowing why he was.

"Hey Natalia, what are you doing?"

"Oh Ryan, just running some tests on some evidence." Natalia tried to hide the paper in a file, but Ryan was too quick.

Ryan snatched the paper from Natalia's hand and looked over it quickly. Natalia had been testing fetal tissue samples. The exemplars were Jessica and Ryan. There was a perfect match between their DNA and the fetus's. The results also stated that the fetus was female.

Ryan looked over at the small body in the tray. It was torn in places and was missing an arm. There were small ruptures under the skin in the veins and blood vessels, the beginnings of bruises. The umbilical cord was still attached at its navel. It had clearly been cleaned. Ryan reached one gloved hand over and touched its head softly, and then ran his finger down its delicate spine.

Natalia watched quietly as Ryan gently touched what had been his daughter. She couldn't imagine the pain he was feeling in that moment. She wanted to comfort him, but didn't know what to say.

Ryan began to cry and his hand shook as he slowly scooped the tiny body into his palm. He brought it closer to him and continued to gently touch the fragile body. She was so small that she fit right in his hand. She had fingers and toes already. Ryan could already tell she was clearly a girl, her genital almost completely developed. Her eyes were shut and Ryan gently tried to pull the lids back. Her eyes were black still, he couldn't tell what color they were yet.

Ryan stood there and sobbed, grieving the loss of the child he hadn't known he had until it was too late. He held her in his hands, knowing this would be the only time he would ever be able to.

"How old was she?" Ryan choked out.

"According to weight and measurement sizes, Jessica was about seventeen weeks along." Natalia gently answered, placing her hand on Ryan's shoulder.

Ryan turned and cried into Natalia's shoulder, cradling the small body against his shirt. Natalia held him and rubbed his back.

Horatio walked into the room at that moment. He saw Ryan and Natalia together. Ryan was crying and holding something against his body. Horatio walked over and gently placed his hand on Ryan's shoulder. Ryan turned and looked at his boss. Horatio saw the small body in Ryan's hands and understood why Ryan was so upset.

"Your baby…" Horatio quietly said, already knowing the answer.

Ryan nodded his head. "We had a daughter."

Horatio looked into Ryan's torn eyes and felt the young man's grief.

"I'm so sorry Ryan." Horatio said to him, carefully embracing Ryan.

Ryan's crying slowed down and he began to recompose himself. He pulled out of Horatio's arms and looked one last time at his daughter. He placed her back in the tray and just stood there looking at her. Ryan wished he could will her back to life, but knew it wouldn't do her any good if she was no longer in the womb.

Horatio placed his hand on Ryan's shoulder. "Are you going to be ok, Ryan?"

Ryan nodded again. "I just don't know what happened. I don't know why I got so upset. She's not even legally considered a human at this stage."  
>"Well Ryan," Horatio began, "As parents we make a vow to protect our children before they're even born. Even though you didn't know about this child until a few weeks ago you still feel as if you've broken that vow. Now your child has been hurt and there's no way you can fix it. It's a terrible feeling knowing that you've caused damage in your daughter's life that you can't take back."<p>

Ryan turned and looked into Horatio's eyes. "Thank you, H." What he was thankful for, Ryan didn't know. He was just glad that Horatio was there.

"I'm sure your daughter would have been a wonderful, beautiful child. Just like her parents." Horatio said to Ryan. "I don't think she could have asked for better ones."  
>Ryan smiled a little, feeling a little better. "Well, I could only hope that she would have inherited a little bit from her grandfather, too. I hear he's a pretty amazing guy also."<p>

Horatio smiled at Ryan and hugged him once more.

* * *

><p>Horatio walked into Ryan's bedroom. It was almost two in the morning and Horatio couldn't sleep at all. Ryan had long passed out. Unbeknownst to Ryan because he had taken a few sleeping pills Horatio had slipped him.<p>

Horatio picked Ryan's gun off the nightstand. He pulled out the magazine and dumped the bullets into hand. He checked the chamber to make sure it was empty. When he was sure the glock was empty he returned it to the nightstand.

Horatio walked back into the living room. He dumped the bullets into an empty pocket on his duffle bag. "Sorry Ryan." Horatio whispered to himself.


	13. Day of Redemption

Day of Redemption

Horatio and Ryan were standing in the lab, waiting for the call from James. It was 9:30am and Ryan had already drank his coffee and destroyed his cup out of pure nerves. The computer chirped and Horatio sat in front of it. He accepted the call and waited for James.

There on the screen was Jessica. Her dress was pulled up to her neck and her left shoulder tied around her in bandannas. Four men were holding her down, including the young boy from the day before. He looked at Horatio tentatively, fear obvious in his eyes. Next to Jessica was a metal bucket filled with burning charcoal. A metal rod was sitting out of it.

"Hello Lieutenant Caine," James said as he appeared within the camera's range. "How's your morning?"

"What are you doing James?" Horatio asked.

James grinned. "Do you know what today is Lieutenant? It's the Day of Redemption. Today I finally get my salvation and justice for what you did all those years ago. Locking me up and sending Izzy away. You're not as great as everyone says you are Horatio Caine. And what better way to mark this wonderful day than to reclaim what once was mine."

James walked over to the bucket of charcoal and pulled the rod out. It was red and white with heat. He walked over next to Jessica. She started squirming and tried to pull free.

"James, don't you dare!" Horatio yelled, "Put that down and leave my daughter alone!"

James laughed. "What are you going to do about it, Caine?"

James stamped the rod onto Jessica's left side. Her skin sizzled and smoke rose from the spot where the rod pressed against her skin. Jessica screamed and arched her back against the pain. James lifted the rod and burned into Jessica's skin was a grim reaper with an hour glass. The bottom of the hour glass was full and there was no more sand in the top.

"Have a nice day Lieutenant Caine." James snarled.

The screen went black and Horatio heard the click of the call ending. He covered his face with his hands and tried to fight the tears he wanted to shed. He needed to stay strong so he could figure out how to get Jessica back before it was too late.

The phone ringing made him jump. Horatio looked to see a number he had never seen before. "Record this one Davidson." Horatio ordered as he hit the answer button. "This is Horatio Caine."

"Daddy!" the voice on the other end cried out, "Daddy help me!"

Horatio jumped from his chair and leaned over the phone. "Jessica? Is that you Bug?"

"Yes please Daddy he's going to kill me! Help me please!"

"Jessica where are you?"

"I don't know. I'm on a boat somewhere in the ocean. We're not far from the shore, I know that much. Please Daddy I don't want to die!"

"Davidson are you tracking this call?" Horatio asked.

"I'm trying but I can't seem to get around the block." Davidson said, trying to triangulate the call location. "They must be using a signal blocker on their boat."

"Move over." Ryan said, practically pushing Davidson out of the chair. He started hitting keys and typing commands. "You're using the wrong codes and programs. You should be doing it this way." Ryan had seen Jessica do it so many times he practically knew it by heart. "Keep her talking H, I need a little more time."

"Jessica, was this Tommy kid serious when he said he's been trying to keep you alive?" Horatio asked.

"Yes Daddy, please don't hurt him. He's not like the rest, he has good intentions. Trust me please." There was a pause. "Daddy I think someone's coming. I need to go."

"No Bug, stay with me. We need to figure out your location." Horatio said.

"Daddy they're going to get me. Please let me go!" Jessica cried.

"Jessie!" Ryan yelled, "Listen to me!"

Jessica was silent. "Ryan? Is that you?"

"Yes love, I need you to stay on the line. I can't work these commands as fast as you."

"But Ryan they already got our daughter, they're going to kill me next."

"Jessica, do you remember what you asked me when we were in the Keys that night at the casino?"

Jessica sniffled. "Yeah, but what does that have to do with this?"

"Jessica if you asked me now I would say yes." Ryan told her. Jessica was silent. "Jessica I would say yes because I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You're the only woman I've ever loved and being away from you hurts me." Ryan typed in the final code. "I got it H! She's about twenty miles off the coast of Miami Bay Cargo Dock number six."

"Jessie we're coming to get you baby!" Horatio said.

"Please hurry Daddy! They're going to ki-" A loud thunking noise interrupted her sentence.

"What do you think you're doing Izzy?" a man's voice said. There was a loud cracking noise and a dial tone rang out.

Horatio looked at Ryan. "Where did you learn to do that Ryan?"

"Jessica taught me and I've watched her do it so many times."

Horatio smiled. "Maybe my daughter isn't too smart for you after all." Ryan felt his ears turn red.

"Come on, let's go save my daughter." Horatio said.

* * *

><p>The Miami Dade boat sped through the water towards the location Ryan had tracked. They knew the boat had moved since then but it couldn't have been far off. A Miami Dade Medical chopper flew overhead. Horatio knew Jessica was going to need immediate medical attention and he wasn't wasting any time.<p>

Ryan stood with Horatio looking across the vast water.

"They're around here somewhere Mr. Wolfe." Horatio said, "We're right at the location you figured out."  
>"H, look!" Eric yelled. Growing in the distance was a boat. "Do you think that's it?" Eric asked.<p>

"It better be or we're about to ruin someone's day." Horatio said.

As they got closer they could see it was an old fishing boat. Jesse quickly ran the serial number printed across the side. "That boat is coming up stolen six months ago." Jesse said, "I think that's it H."

"Then let's meet James." Horatio said. The MDPD boat slowed down and pulled up in front of the fishing boat. Everyone had already drawn their weapons and was prepared to fight.

Four men were standing on the boat's deck, including the young boy. James walked out onto the deck and smiled his nasty grin at Horatio.

"Lieutenant Caine, we finally meet again." he said, "I knew you would show up for this wonderful day!" He held his arms out open, away from his body. Horatio could see the name Izzy craved into his left forearm with a broken heart next to it and a grim reaper was burned into his right arm. The bottom of the hour glass full the top empty.

"It doesn't have to end this way James." Horatio said, holding his glock up, "We can end this right now. Give me back Jessica and this can all be over now."

James laughed. "Don't you understand Lieutenant? This is how it has to be. You took her away from me once and now I'm taking her with me for good."

Two more men came walking out onto the deck. They were pushing Jessica forward. She was limping slightly and blood was still running out of her mouth. Her head swayed side to side uneven. She was clearly disoriented, but she still wore her red heels.

Ryan's blood boiled at how much pain he could see Jessica was in. His grip on his glock tightened. He wanted nothing more than to put a bullet in James's head. He had to keep control though.

James walked over to Jessica and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Its ok boys, she's with me." He kissed Jessica's cheek and she winced in pain. "You see Lieutenant Izzy and I were going to get married. She probably never told you that though, but we were in love and we were about to spend the rest of our lives together. But you had to get in the way and take her away from me. Even worse you sent me to that horrid prison. And what did I do to deserve that? Fall in love? Want to be with the girl of my dreams? I don't think that's so bad."

"You killed my best friend and Izzy's father!" Horatio yelled.

James laughed. "You really think I killed Brian? It wasn't me. It was Izzy. She killed him long before I pulled the trigger. So really it's Izzy here that should have gone to prison. But oh wait, I think she did. How long was it? Three months?

"And then what happened? She died. You killed her and then made her into someone else. When I heard I thought my life was over. Then word got back to me that Izzy was alive and in Miami. So naturally I wanted to see my Izzy again. I planned my escape and my brothers came to my side and helped me out. But that story is for another day.

"You see Lieutenant you're all here today to witness my redemption. Today I get my justice and my girl." James pulled out a knife and held it to Jessica's throat. "Izzy and I are really going to spend the rest of eternity together now."

"Her name is Jessica!" Ryan yelled, "And she doesn't belong to you!"

James smiled his nasty grin. "Oh Officer Wolfe, how's your daughter?"

"Dead because of you, you son of a bitch!"

"What are you going to do about it? Kill me?" James released his hold on Jessica and stepped forward. He held out his arms. "Go ahead shoot me."

Ryan's hands shook. He wanted nothing more than to accept that invitation. Ryan clicked the safety off and gripped his gun.

"Go ahead, shoot me." James challenged again.

Ryan pulled the trigger but nothing happened. His breathing quickened and his hands shook violently. He pulled the trigger again and the slide kicked back and locked in place.

James laughed at him. "You can't do it, can you? Do you not know how to work a gun?" James continued to laugh and stare at Ryan.

Suddenly something red flashed by James's head and into his shoulder. James screamed in pain and grabbed at whatever was attacking him. He pulled a red shoe out of his shoulder. The heel was sharpened to a point and now dripping with his blood, as blood poured down the front of his bare chest.

James turned to look at Jessica but was met with a punch to the nose and another heel stabbed into his stomach. Jessica grabbed his knife and stabbed him in the shoulder again and gave the knife a good turn before pulling it out.

Then something in her seemed to snap. Jessica charged at another one of the men and started stabbing him in the stomach. She lunged at the largest man that had hit her with the hammer and slit his throat from the tip of his chin and to his sternum and jabbed the knife into his chest. She stabbed and slashed at the two men that tried to grab her and Ryan could see an eye fly off the end of the knife. She stabbed the knife into another man and pulled her hand back violently and part of his intestines pulled out of his abdomen.

Soon the only one left was the young boy. Ryan watched as Jessica grabbed the boy by the collar and looked into his eyes. Jessica's green eyes peered into Tommy's soul and he feared for his life. Jessica lifted the knife and quickly dragged it across his cheek. A deep gash appeared on the left side of his face and he winced against the pain.

"You should have known better Tommy." she said. Jessica dropped him to the ground and walked up to James.

She looked down at him hunched over on the ground in pain. Jessica kicked him hard in the side with her bare feet. She placed her foot on the wound on his shoulder and shoved him to the ground. James cried out in pain.

"Izzy…" he quietly said.

Jessica leaned in close to his face. "My name is Jessica Elizabeth Stone Caine. I was born May 16th in Chicago, Illinois, my father is Horatio Caine, my step-mother is Marisol Delko Caine, and my brother is Kyle Harmon. I am not and never have been Elizabeth Johnson."

Jessica raised the knife above her head and stabbed it into James's shoulder again. "That's for Brian and Elizabeth Johnson." She pulled the knife out and stabbed into his arm. "That's for all the children you've murdered." She pulled the knife out and stabbed it into his side. "That's for Horatio Caine." She pulled the knife out again and stabbed into his abdomen. "That's for Ryan and our child we'll never get to hold." She yanked the knife out one more time. Jessica looked long and hard into James's icy eyes. She plunged the knife hard into James's groin and listened to him scream. Jessica pushed the knife into the floor of the deck, pinning James in place. She let go of the knife and watched him squirm in pain. "And that's for me you son of a bitch!"

Jessica stood up and staggered in place. She grabbed the railing of the boat and looked over the edge. The light of the sun burned her eyes and she felt like her skin was on fire.

Jessica turned and looked at Horatio and Ryan. Tears formed in her eyes and her heart felt heavy. She lifted her fist and placed it on her chest and moved it in a circular motion. _"I'm sorry."_

"Jessica no!" Horatio yelled, dropping his gun and running to the edge of the boat. Jessica shook her head slowly and let her body fall over the railing. "Jessica!" Horatio yelled.

Ryan dropped his gun and jumped onto the side of the MDPD boat and dove into the water. He swam downwards towards Jessica's sinking body. Her dress fanned out and her hair floated around her head. She looked peaceful, but Ryan knew it couldn't end this way.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her against his body. Jessica pulled away and grabbed his face with her one good hand. She kissed Ryan and held him there. When she pulled back Jessica looked into his eyes the best she could. Ryan saw a sadness he had never seen before in Jessica.

"I love you!" Jessica yelled under the water. She took a deep breath of water but Ryan covered her mouth and nose with his hand. He pressed her back against his chest as she struggled to get away from him. Ryan swam upwards, kicking with all his might. Just before he broke the surface he pushed Jessica above the water.

Ryan gasped the warm ocean air and swam towards the MDPD boat. He held Jessica up and Jesse and Eric pulled her out of the water. Horatio and Frank reached down and pulled Ryan out.

Eric had already started performing CPR on Jessica, but wasn't getting a response. "Come on Jessie, breath!" he yelled as he pushed against her chest. There was a horrendous cracking noise and Eric lifted his hands off Jessica. "Flip her over," Jesse said, "If her ribs are broken you'll only cause more damage."

Eric flipped Jessica over and Jesse gave her a few good smacks on the back. Water came pouring out of Jessica's mouth and onto the deck of the boat. She started coughing and gasping for air. She knelt on her knees and tried to regain her breath.

"Where is he?" Jessica asked, "Where is that bastard!" Jessica stood up and staggered and looked around.

"Jessica, James is on the other boat." Eric said, "You're safe now."

"No, not him." Jessica spun around. She looked at Ryan. "Him!"

"Jessica!" Ryan walked towards her, intending to embrace Jessica. Instead he received a hard right hook to his left eye. Ryan staggered in pain and looked at Jessica through his blurred vision.

"Jessica…" he said.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Jessica yelled at him, shoving him hard. "Why did you save me!" Blood was running out of her mouth and she coughed more blood.

Ryan looked at her in disbelief. "I couldn't let you die Jessie."  
>"Why not! Couldn't you see I don't want to live anymore! I can't do this any longer Ryan! I wanted to die!"<p>

"I couldn't let you Jessie!" Ryan yelled back.

"Well why the fuck not!" Jessica finally was able to stand in one place. She looked at him hard.

Ryan grabbed Jessica's shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Because I love you!" he yelled. He looked at her eyes and realized that not only were her pupils uneven but her eyes were a bright olive green. Jessica had a glazed and confused expression on her face.

Then Jessica's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed in front of him. Ryan caught her in his arms and placed her on the ground. "Jessica?" Ryan said quietly. Jessica started shaking violently in Ryan's arms.

An EMT rushed over and started looking Jessica over while another used a digital thermometer in her ear. When it beeped the EMT looked at the display. "She's a 104.7 and she's having a seizure. We need to get her out of here now!"

The EMTs pulled Jessica out of Ryan's arms and placed her on a back board. They strapped her in and attached a cable hanging from the helicopter. Jessica was lifted into the air and another set of EMTs pulled her into the helicopter. When she was secured the helicopter sped off back towards the city.

Ryan sat there looking up. Horatio rushed over and threw a blanket around him. Ryan hadn't noticed he was shaking until that moment. "She's going to be alright Ryan." Horatio said, "You saved her."

"But she said she wanted to die." Ryan said quietly.

Horatio looked into Ryan's eyes. "Ryan did you hear them? She has a fever of 104, she's delirious and has had heroin injected into her for three days. That wasn't Jessica talking."  
>Ryan blinked back tears. "H, why were her eyes green?" Horatio shook his head. "I don't know."<p>

* * *

><p>Alexx ran through the halls. She had heard Jessica Caine was brought in and she had to see her. Alexx rushed through the doors of an operating room scrub in room and looked through the window. She could see Jessica's blonde hair and nimble frame lying on a table. Without thinking Alexx started scrubbing up. A nurse walked in and looked at her confused.<p>

"Dr. Woods, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Help me out here." Alexx said, "I have to scrub in for this one."  
>"But Dr. Woods you're not assigned to this one."<br>Alexx turned and snapped at the nurse. "I don't care! I have to be in there! This girl is like a daughter to me. I _need_ to be in there!"

The nurse didn't argue any further. She grabbed a hairnet for Alexx and placed it on her head while Alexx dried off and grabbed an apron for her.

Alexx rushed into the room. "Someone fill me in here." The other doctors looked at Alexx but didn't bother to question Alexx's authority.

"Dr. Caine was abducted and tortured for three days. She has multiple injuries, she's hysterical with a fever of a 105.1, and she was still seizing when she came in." one of the doctors said.

Alexx didn't know if she wanted to know the answer to her next question. "Is she pregnant?"

The doctor shook his head. "No, not anymore."

Jessica started thrashing against the doctors' touch. "Don't you touch me you dirty bastards!" Blood sprayed from her mouth with every word she screamed.

Alexx rushed to Jessica's side and held her face. "Jessie Bug, listen to me. You're in the hospital. We're going to fix you up." Jessica blinked her uneven blue-green eyes. "Alexx…"

"You need to go to sleep now baby girl, ok?" Alexx said, "I'll keep you safe, I promise."

"Alexx…." Jessica barely managed as she slipped under the sedatives.

* * *

><p>Horatio pulled Ryan out of the elevator and into the crime lab. "Do you have a change of clothes in your locker?" Horatio asked him.<p>

"Um, yeah I think so." Ryan answered. Horatio handed him his keys and glock. "If you need anything just check my locker. Hurry up and change we're going to the hospital in fifteen minutes. Put my glock in my locker for me."

Ryan nodded his head and ran towards the locker room.

Horatio walked into his officer. He picked up the phone and dialed the hospital's number.

"Hello this is Lieutenant Horatio Caine, my daughter, Jessica Stone-Caine, was air lifted in about thirty minutes ago can you tell me where she is?" Horatio listened intensely as the receptionist explained where Jessica was. "Alright thank you." He hung up the phone and looked up to see Ryan walking in.

"That was fast." Horatio commented.

"Yeah, I kind of felt pressed for time." Ryan said, tossing Horatio his keys. "Would you mind driving, I…" Ryan held up his hand that was shaking so violently that he needn't say more.

"Come on Ryan." Horatio said. He walked out with Ryan following close behind.

Ten minutes later they were walking through the doors oh the hospital. Horatio didn't even bother stopping at the front desk, he knew where to go. They rode up to the fifth floor and Horatio rushed down the hall.

"Excuse me miss," Horatio said to the woman at the desk, "I'm looking for Jessica Stone-Caine."

"Yes, she's in operating room four. She's under going extensive surgery for her injuries. Unfortunately we can't tell you how long it's going to be, she's still be evaluated. If you would like to take a seat I can call up and have someone come talk to you."

"Alright, thank you miss." Horatio touch Ryan's arm and led him over to a chair.

"Do you want anything to drink, Ryan?" Horatio asked him. Ryan shook his head. "No, I think I'm alright." Horatio patted his shoulder and walked down the hall. He returned shortly with two cups of coffee. Horatio sat down in the chair next to Ryan's and handed him a cup of coffee. "I think you need it." Ryan gave him a weak smile. "Thanks H."

Alexx came walking into the waiting room and looked around. She quickly located Horatio and Ryan and walked over to them. "Horatio, Ryan" she said.

Horatio stood up. "Alexx, are you-"

"Taking care of baby girl, you bet!" Alexx said, "As soon as I heard she was here I demanded to be in that operating room. Baby girl isn't going anywhere on my watch."  
>"How is she doing?" Horatio asked.<p>

Alexx sighed, "I can't tell you just yet, it's too soon. As soon as I have anything I'll tell you." Alexx placed her hand on Horatio's shoulder. "She's one tough customer, tried to fight off a couple of doctors before I got there."

Horatio smiled a little. "Jessica never did make anything easy."  
>"She's a feisty one." Alexx smiled. "I need to get back; we're still trying to figure out where to start." Alexx squeezed Horatio's shoulder and walked back towards the operating room.<p>

Horatio turned back to Ryan. The young man had tears running down his face and his hands were shaking again. Horatio carefully took the coffee cup from him and set it down on the table next to his chair. He sat back in his chair and wrapped an arm around Ryan's shoulders.

"She's tougher than you think." Horatio whispered, "Jessie Bug never did go down without a fight. Even when she was a kid. I tried to tell her she couldn't go out and play during a blizzard one time and I'll be damned if I didn't find her outside in her pajamas trying to build a snowman."

Ryan chuckled a little and smiled weakly. "In her pajamas? How old was she?"

Horatio smiled at the memory. "She was seven. Stubborn as her mother that one."

"What was she doing at your house?"

"Brian was trying to visit his family. Since his cochlear implant Brian's family was reluctant to accept him back. With his parent's death though they invited him back for holidays, but they didn't want Jessica there. I never really understood why. She would stay at my house when Brian was out of town." Horatio chuckled. "Daddy H she used to call me, because she said I was her other father. When Brian died she didn't know what to call me when she was first adopted, but she eventually went back to Daddy H."

Ryan smiled at Horatio. "I think it's a good name for you." Horatio returned the smile.

"We're going to get through this Ryan, don't worry."

"Yeah, I know." Ryan sniffed, "It's just difficult. I held her and then she was taken away again."

"She'll be alright. Alexx has worked miracles before."

Ryan rubbed his hand across his eyes. Horatio tightened his grip on Ryan's shoulder. "It's ok Ryan, crying doesn't make you weak. You love her and she's in pain so it's hurting you, too."

Ryan leaned forward and buried his hands in. His whole body shook with his sobs as he finally fully let his emotions overcome him. Horatio rubbed Ryan's back and just let the younger man cry.

* * *

><p>Jessica felt the cold metal of the operating table beneath her and nimble hands touching her everywhere and she could tell she was naked. She felt pokes and prods and someone look into her badly damaged vagina. Her head was pounding and her shoulder and ribs throbbed. The ventilator down her throat rubbed against the ring lodged deep within her chest. Jessica knew she needed to tell them it was there but she didn't know how.<p>

Jessica lazily opened her eyes to see a doctor applying liquid stitches to a cut just below her left eye. The doctor jumped back either out of surprise or fright, Jessica couldn't tell which. He turned and yelled Alexx's name. Alexx was suddenly standing next to Jessica's head.

"Oh my god, Jessie Bug!" Alexx said, "How did you wake up?"

Jessica didn't know how to answer since she didn't even know herself. Instead she raised her hand and touched her throat. She could tell Alexx didn't understand what she was trying to say.

"Does your throat hurt baby girl?" Alexx asked.

Jessica nodded her head. She looked at Alexx's hand and could see her wedding ring through the glove. Jessica grabbed at it and Alexx held her hand out for Jessica to see. Jessica pointed to the ring and then back to her throat.

"Baby girl, I'm sorry I don't understand what you're trying to tell me." Alexx sorrow form at the loss of not being able to understand.

Just then a nurse walked in with x-rays in her hand. "Doctor Woods, I've got the x-rays."  
>"Not now," Alexx said, "I'm trying to figure out what she's telling me."<p>

The nurse could see Jessica pointing between Alexx's hand and her throat.

"She's trying to tell you that there's a ring lodged in her throat." the nurse said.

Alexx turned and looked at the nurse. "Honey, what did you just say?"

The nurse placed the x-rays on the light board. Alexx could see the scattered bones in Jessica's shoulder and the fractures twining around her ribs, but really got her attention was the bright white circle in the middle of Jessica's neck.

"My god," Alexx said, "Baby girl swallowed a ring."

Jessica started coughing and blood came spewing out of her mouth and nose. The ventilator was forcing the blood back into her lungs and she could feel herself drowning again. Another doctor hastily removed the ventilator from Jessica's throat and started suctioning the blood out of her mouth and throat.

"Alexx!" he yelled, "We need to do something right now!"

Alexx turned and walked back to the operating table. "Give her more sedatives. We're going to have to go in and get that ring." Alexx smoothed Jessica's hair back. "Baby girl don't you worry we're going to get that ring out."

Jessica tried to speak but it seemed her voice wasn't properly working. She barely managed to choke out "R-rr-yya-nn" before the sedatives kicked back in.

* * *

><p>Alexx walked out of the operating room and into the waiting room. She found the two men who she knew would wait there forever if they had to. Horatio and Ryan were sitting in a couple of chairs next to each other. Ryan was leaning forward on his knees crying and Horatio had his hand on Ryan's shoulder, comforting him. It had been two hours since she talked to them and she knew they were anxious for more information.<p>

Alexx walked over to them. "Horatio, Ryan," she said.

Both men looked up and Horatio stood. He placed his hand on Ryan's shoulder when he felt the younger man attempt to stand, encouraging him to stay seated.

"Alexx how's Jessica?" Horatio asked.

"Baby girl's got a lot of fight in her. She's lost a lot of blood, has a pretty bad concussion, several lacerations all over her body, a torn and infected uterus, a few broken fingers, a couple of cracked ribs, a broken left shoulder, and what seems to be a new addiction to heroin."

Horatio dreaded asking his next question. "What about the SAE?"

Alexx sighed knowing there was no easy way to tell Horatio. "She has massive vaginal tearing and a lot of bruising. There was clearly forced entrance and a lot of it. We found multiple sperm donors and the best we can tell no one wore a condom either. But it does seem that in order to be a Crip King you have to be clean. Her blood work just came back and not a single sexual transmitted virus or bacteria was found in her body or in that sperm."

Horatio looked at her, sorrow in his blue eyes. "Any good news?"

"Yes, actually. Her fever has finally broken and she's no longer delirious and hallucinating, and she's responding well to the antibiotics. We also thought she had some form of damage to her lungs because she was coughing up blood, but it turns out it was a tear in her esophagus that was causing her to cough up the blood, not her lungs. The best news is that none of her injuries were fatal. It seems James only wanted to hurt her until you got there. He even managed to miss her only kidney. Now, wasn't that sweet of him." Alexx said the last with sarcasm.

"How did she get a tear in her esophagus?" Horatio asked, puzzled.

"Well, when we did x-rays we discovered she had something lodged in her throat, trying to make its way down to her stomach, but because the object didn't have a smooth surface it couldn't make it all the way. It got stuck in the tissue in her esophagus and must have been causing some terrible pain, with how deeply embedded it was. It was also the reason she couldn't eat anything. Nothing was getting past it except water."  
>Horatio looked at Alexx intensely. "What was it?"<p>

Alexx smiled and reached into the pocket of her scrubs. She pulled out a silver ring with a large pink stone. It had been cleaned and shined beautifully in the waiting room lights.

"This." Alexx said "It seems baby girl didn't want James to get it. So she hid it in the only place she knew he wouldn't find it. It must be very important to her if she was willing to cause herself such a great deal of pain in order to save it."

Ryan stood and looked at the ring. His eyes filled with new tears. He reached his shaking hand out slowly. Alexx looked at Ryan and understood. She placed the ring in his palm and folded his fingers over it securely.

"That's one hell of a girl you found yourself, baby." Alexx said to Ryan. "You hold onto her as long as you can. Well, as long as Daddy H is ok with it."

Ryan still couldn't speak. He nodded his head in response and sunk back into the chair and looked at the ring in his hand. He closed his fingers around it again and held it close to his heart in his fist and cried.

"Thank you Alexx." Horatio said, "When can we see her?"

Alexx looked at Horatio with grief in her eyes. "Soon, H. I promise. We're doing everything we can, but she's not going down without a fight. I've never seen someone come in that condition alive. Every time we find something else wrong she seems to pull out of the last episode and recovered from whatever we've been working on. Baby girl has a lot of determination to live in her. Something's motivating her to stay alive."  
>Horatio looked down at the sobbing Ryan. "Yes, something incredibly motivating."<p> 


	14. A Fight for Life

**A quick note, this chapter takes place the same day as chapter thirteen.**

A Fight for Life

Jessie's head wouldn't stop pounding. She couldn't think straight. She needed to know what was going on but she couldn't seem to wake herself up again. Every breath she took felt like it was going to crack her chest right open. She could feel the exposed flesh in her throat where the ring had been removed. Something was holding her left shoulder down and it hurt something fierce. Jessie just wanted all the pain to go away.

Then suddenly she felt the pain leaving her body. She could begin to move her fingers freely and rotated her shoulder. The darkness began to fade and she could see someone standing in the distance, a light growing behind them.

She walked towards them. She could almost see their faces, but she was still too far away. She started running towards them. Soon Jessie could hear their voices calling her name, but as she got closer though she realized they weren't yelling her name.

"Izzy!" Jessica yelled, "My little Izzy Bug has come home!"

"Oh Izzy, we missed you!" Brian yelled.

Jessie came to a screeching halt. She stood there and looked at them. "My name isn't Izzy anymore." she said. "It's Dr. Jessica Elizabeth Stone Caine now."

"No Izzy that's me." Jessica said, "You're name is Elizabeth Renee Johnson."

"Come on Izzy," Brian said, "Let's go home now. We can be a family again."  
>"No!" Jessie screamed, "My name isn't Izzy! It's Jessica! And you're not my family anymore! Horatio is my father and Kyle is my brother! They're my family!"<p>

"Izzy you don't have a brother." Brian said.

"Maybe Izzy doesn't, but Jessie does." With that Jessie turned and began to run away from them.

Jessie's head started pounding again and the pain began to return. She felt her legs begin to give out under her and she collapsed to the ground. She lay there panting, the stabbing pains in her chest increasing. She felt tears in her eyes as she curled up on the ground. The pain wouldn't stop.

Then Jessie felt her body relax a little as sleep over came her and she fell back into darkness.

* * *

><p>Alexx was carefully working bones back into place in Jessica's shoulder using pins and metal plates. It was a delicate procedure because the bones were so badly broken. The sound of the heart monitor beeping irregularly didn't even break her concentration.<p>

"Dr. Woods," a nurse said, "Her heart rate and blood pressure are dropping rapidly."  
>"Well do something about it." Alexx said, "In case you can't tell I'm a little busy here."<p>

The nurses and doctors started working, trying to get Jessica's heart to speed back up. Then the machine's monotone droning made Alexx feel like her own heart stopped.

"Get the defibrillator!" one of the other doctors yelled. "Charge it to two hundred! Dr. Woods you need to stop what you're doing so we can resuscitate her."

Alexx looked at the older doctor over the top of her surgical glasses. "Honey do you understand that if I move right now she'll loose all use of this arm?"

"Dr. Woods, she's flat lining right now, we need to use the defibrillator and we can't do that if your instruments are in her shoulder. If we don't revive her she won't have a use for that arm."

"You really don't know this girl, do you?" Alexx asked him. Suddenly Jessica's heart monitor started beeping again at a slow, weak rate but it was quickly increasing. The other doctor looked at the monitor skeptically.

"How is that possible?" he asked. Alexx smiled behind her mask and continued her work. "I told you didn't know this girl. Baby's got a lot to lose by dying and she knows it. The last thing she's going to do is leave her life behind. Besides, she's already done that once before and it was hard enough. Now why don't you go tell her father and boyfriend what just happened. I promised I would keep them informed but that's a little hard to do when I'm making sure she can still throw those mean left hooks I hear she's got."

* * *

><p>Horatio saw the older male doctor walk out of the doors that led to the operating rooms. He walked over to where he and Ryan were sitting.<p>

"Lieutenant Caine, Officer Wolfe?" he said.

Horatio nodded and stood up to meet the man's gaze. "That's us. Is there something wrong with my daughter?"

The doctor seemed perplexed. He shook his head and stared at Horatio. "Her heart stopped." Ryan made a horrified noise and Horatio turned to see panic forming in the young man's eyes. "But there's more!" the doctor quickly added. "Dr. Woods refused to stop her work reconstructing Dr. Caine's shoulder so we weren't able to use the defibrillator to resuscitate her. She flat lined for about twenty seconds." The doctor shook his head again, unable to grasp the words he was saying.

"What happened?" Horatio asked urgently, "What happened to my daughter?"

The doctor looked at Horatio, the disbelieving look still present in his eyes. "Her heart started back up on it's own." He chuckled briefly. "In my twenty-seven years working as a doctor I have never seen someone's heart restart itself. Her pulse is steady and she seems to be doing fine now. We're monitoring her closely, but all her vitals are back to normal. I must say Lieutenant Caine your daughter has an incredible will to live. It seems she's really not going down without a fight."

Horatio smiled. "She always was a stubborn one. Just like her mother."

"I can imagine. I've just never seen someone who was stubborn about dying. In my opinion the poor girl would just be better off just letting herself go now."

Ryan stood and looked at the man. He was a few inches taller than Ryan but Horatio could see the doctor start to recoil in fear.

"Maybe she would be better off dying, but the world would be better off if she stayed." Ryan said, "You don't know who you're talking about. Jessica Caine is the strongest person I've ever met. Everyone who meets her has their life changed, including you now." Ryan took a step back. "I would have imagined as a doctor you would have learned by now never to say things like that about your patients." Ryan turned and walked out of the waiting room and down the hall.

"Excuse me before he hurts someone or himself." Horatio said. He left the doctor standing there as he quickly followed Ryan.

Horatio found Ryan standing in the hall just thirty feet away. He was leaning with his forehead against the wall. Horatio couldn't tell if he looked more angry or distressed. Horatio walked up and leaned against the wall next to Ryan. He didn't say anything; he just looked at the ground and waited for Ryan to talk.

"How can he say something like that?" Ryan asked, "How can he look you in the eye and tell you your daughter would be better off dead?"  
>Horatio sighed. "Because Ryan, sometimes it's true, people are better off dying when they're in pain. Sometimes it's just too difficult for their bodies to handle so it's better that they leave this world than continue to suffer for us."<p>

Ryan turned and looked at Horatio. "You don't want her to die, do you H?"

Horatio shook his head. "I would never in a million years wish for my daughter's death. When Izzy was dying and the doctors told me she needed a blood transfusion or she would die I volunteered to donate. They said an unfiltered blood transfusion could cause more damage, but there was no time to worry about that. Izzy would have been dead by the time they found a stock of filtered blood.

"After the kidney transplant Izzy started running a massive fever. Her body had accepted the new kidney, but something had caused her to get sick. With her immune system so low because of the transfusion and transplant the doctors told me I might be better off saying my good byes. They didn't think she was going to make it." Horatio shook his head. "She was so tiny. All her life Izzy was small. Her body was so weak and she was so tired that I almost wished she would die just so the pain would leave her, but I couldn't.

"If Izzy died then James would have won, and I didn't want that to happen. She amazingly enough pulled out of it and woke up on her own from the coma. No one knew how it happened. The doctors told me it was a down right miracle she was alive."

Ryan smiled weakly at his boss. "That's Jessie for you, never taking the easy way out."

Ryan stood up straight and he and Horatio walked back to the waiting room. The doctor was gone and their sat back down in their chairs. Ryan sighed and looked at Horatio. Horatio didn't miss the pain in Ryan's eyes and he felt terrible for the younger man.

"Tell me something else about Jessica." Ryan said, "Back when she was Izzy. Please H?"

Horatio smiled. "Izzy was a lively child, always thinking that one. She wanted to know about everything and anything about the world. She grasped things so quickly. She had an incredibly knack for learning. Izzy wanted to be just like her mother. Everyone said she looked just like Jessabelle with her blonde curls and green eyes.

"Izzy was very small. When she was born she only weighed four and a half pounds. Growing up she was the tiniest of her classmates. I feared for her the day she was sentenced to three years in prison. I was afraid she would die in a riot or be victimized because she was so small and everyone knew she was my daughter now. But she grew so much in those three months before her death. In the first month alone when she was in prison she grew eight inches. The doctors had to give her dietary supplements and other medication to keep her bones from breaking because they had become brittle from growing so fast.

"They couldn't explain the sudden growth. Eventually the doctors decided it had something to do with the transplant. Both of Izzy's parents were short, most people thought Brian was younger than me because he was so much shorter. The doctors think that my flesh and blood in her system now changed her. Her eyes turned the same color as mine and she was suddenly taller. The doctors explained that sometimes people who receive a transplant have their physical features altered. They become taller, they develop more freckles, and in extremely rare cases their hair or eye color changes."

"That's amazing." Ryan said. He smiled at Horatio. "I still can't believe I never noticed you two have the same colored eyes. I knew I had seen Jessica's eyes somewhere before when I met her. I feel so ridiculous for not noticing." Ryan chuckled.

"Well Ryan sometimes the most obvious things are the ones we don't catch." Horatio chuckled, "Like the loving looks you and my daughter always exchanged or the large amount of time you always spent together. I can't believe that I didn't realize you were this mysterious man she was dating and refused to tell me about."

"When did she tell you?"

"She told me about being able to have sex for the first time without panicking and that's when she said she had a new boyfriend. She refused to tell me who it was no matter how hard I tried. The day she told me she was pregnant she slipped up and said your name."

Ryan hesitated but asked his question anyways. "What did you think when she told you it was me?"

Horatio sighed. "To be honest I was furious, but that was kind of the reaction I had every time Jessica got a new boyfriend. I didn't believe anyone would ever be good enough for my daughter after the hard life she's had."

"You were especially mad it was me because I've fucked up so many times." Ryan said as he rubbed his eyes. "You didn't want it to be me."

Horatio placed his hand on Ryan's shoulder. "You've screwed up enough Mr. Wolfe, but Jessica was right we all make mistakes and sometimes we just need to be forgiven." Horatio paused, "That's what she told me the day I called her about giving you your job back."

Ryan turned and looked at Horatio. "What….what do you mean?"

"The day you asked me for your job back I had a lot to think about. I didn't want to hire you back but at the same time I knew you wouldn't make the same mistakes. Something was nagging me to call Jessica, so I did. For some reason I felt she would be the best person to talk to about the whole situation. I never used your name but I told her about an employee who had broke protocol and was fired and had came to me asking for his job back. She told me everyone makes mistakes and they learn and grow from them. Jessie Bug said I should give you your job back because you wouldn't screw up again and you would become a better, stronger person." Horatio squeezed Ryan's shoulder. "I'm so glad I listened to her. You've become an incredible person Ryan Wolfe and I'm so glad you came into my daughter's life. You've helped her so much. I haven't seen Jessie Bug this happy in years."

Ryan smiled weakly. "So Jessica's the reason I got my job back?" Horatio nodded his head. Ryan buried his face in his hands and breathed heavily. He sat back up and looked at Horatio. He shook his head with a smile on his face. "I can't believe it. It's like she was looking out for me before we even knew each other. It's like we really were meant to be together." Ryan suddenly felt a little awkward saying these things to Horatio, but he must have agreed with Ryan because Horatio squeezed Ryan's shoulder again and smiled at him.

"It's like you said Ryan, everyone who meets Jessie Bug has their life changed, whether they want it or not."

* * *

><p>Alexx was dreading having to break the news to Ryan and Horatio. She left the operating room and walked down the hall to the waiting room. She found the two men in Jessica's life that she knew cared more for her than their own lives. She took a deep breathe and approached them.<p>

"Horatio, Ryan, I need to talk to both of you." Alexx said, taking a seat in the chair adjacent to their chairs, pulling it closer to them. It had been three hours since they had received any news about Jessica's condition.

"Something's gone wrong, we don't know what. Jessie's fell into a coma. We can't get her to wake up and her brain function declines and then increases. Then her heart starts beating too fast and slows down too much. It's not looking good." Alexx felt her self tear up and choked a bit, "We don't know how much time baby girl's got left. We thought she was doing better but something has caused her health to deteriorate. We don't know how much longer she's going to fight. She's in the ICU right now. We can only allow one at a time, but you might want to go say your good byes before it's too late."

Horatio's heart hit the ground. He couldn't believe it. His little girl was dying and there was nothing he could do about it. For the first time since Jessica's parents had died Horatio felt that he had hit rock bottom. He couldn't believe that he had failed them in his promise to keep her safe and healthy. Horatio felt tears form in his eyes; tears he had tried to hold back since Jessica was kidnapped. They became too heavy for him and he felt them stream down his cheeks.

Ryan sat there in his chair, crying harder than he could ever remember in his life. Jessica was going to leave him and there was nothing he could do. It was all his fault. He shouldn't have let her drive off alone. He should have stayed in the car.

"Horatio," Alexx said softly, "Would you like to see her first?" Horatio couldn't speak, he just nodded his head slowly. He took Ryan's hand and squeezed it gently. Horatio followed Alexx down the hall and into Jessica's small room.

Her face was bruised and swollen and there were so many cuts and scraps. The monitor beeped rhythmically in time with her weak heart. Horatio sat down in the chair next to her bed. He held her right hand in his and just looked at his daughter.

"Jessie Bug, I love you so much. You were always the daughter I never had. I'm sorry this happened to you again. I'm sorry I failed you as a parent. This isn't how I wanted it to be." Horatio leaned over Jessica and kissed her forehead. He sat back down in his chair and just held her hand.

"You look so much like your mother, but taller, much taller. You act just like, too. Stubborn as the day is long and sassy, too." Horatio smiled but felt the tears continue to run down his face. "I'm sorry I let this happen to you baby. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. I know I haven't been the best parent you could have had, but I believe someone once told me that you don't always get to choose your family but when you do you know when it's right."

Horatio kissed Jessica's hand. "I love you Bug. I don't want you to go, please come back." Horatio paused briefly, choking on his words. "If you can find the strength please wake up. The team needs you, Ryan needs you, and I need you. If you can't then I want you to know you have truly changed my life and I will never forget you as long as I live. Good bye Jessie."

Horatio kissed her forehead again. "I love you Jessica. You will always be my little girl and my Jessie Bug."

* * *

><p>Pain ripped through Jessica's body like wild fire. She was screaming but it seemed no one could hear her. She cried out Horatio's name but he wasn't there. Jessica cried loudly, she just wanted the pain to go away.<p>

Then she felt someone take her hand. Jessica tried to pull away, afraid someone was going to hurt her again. Then she recognized the way he held her hand and the texture of his strong hands.

"Daddy!" Jessica cried, "Daddy please help me! It hurts so much!" Horatio didn't respond. Instead he started talking to her.

"_Jessie Bug, I love you so much. You were always the daughter I never had. I'm sorry this happened to you again. I'm sorry I failed you as a parent. This isn't how I wanted it to be." _

Jessica felt him kiss her forehead. "Daddy? What do you mean you failed? You didn't do anything wrong. I messed up! It was my fault!"

"_You look so much like your mother, but taller, much taller. You act just like, too. Stubborn as the day is long and sassy, too. I'm sorry I let this happen to you baby. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. I know I haven't been the best parent you could have had, but I believe someone once told me that you don't always get to choose your family but when you do you know when it's right."_

Jessica teared up as her father recited the words she had said to him the day he adopted her. "No Daddy you did fine. You were the best father I would have asked for. Please don't say those things. You did nothing wrong!"

Horatio kissed Jessica's hand._ "I love you Bug. I don't want you to go, please come back. If you can find the strength please wake up. The team needs you, Ryan needs you, and I need you. If you can't then I want you to know you have truly changed my life and I will never forget you as long as I live. Good bye Jessie."  
><em>"Daddy….why are you saying good bye? Where am I going?"

Horatio kissed her forehead again._ "I love you Jessica. You will always be my little girl and my Jessie Bug."_

"Daddy…please don't leave…" Jessica felt Horatio released her hand and heard him walk away.

"Daddy!" Jessica screamed at the top of her lungs. It was no use, he was gone and Jessica was once again alone.

* * *

><p>Alexx led Horatio back into the waiting room where Ryan was waiting. Alexx gently took his hand and led him back down the hall. Before she let him go in Alexx pulled Ryan into her arms and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry baby, we did all that we could." She said to him. Ryan nodded his head and walked through the door.<p>

Ryan walked into the small hospital room and looked at the only woman he would ever love. She had a ventilator down her throat, a heart monitor hooked up to her chest, several IV bags dripping into her, stitches all over her body, three fingers on her left hand in splints, a sling holding her left shoulder in place, and Ryan could see the large bandages around her chest that were keeping her ribs together.

Ryan sat in a chair next to her bed and looked at her long and hard.

"Oh Jessica," he finally said, "You would be appalled if you knew they had you in a yellow gown." Ryan chuckled a little at his own joke. He reached out and took Jessica's right hand in his own.

"Jessie, I love you so much. I'm so glad you're safe now. The team caught James. He's headed back to Illinois after the doctors fix him up. Personally I don't understand why they're bothering. He's a death row inmate. What does he need his penis reattached for anyways?" Ryan squeezed Jessica's hand. "I must say though, that was pretty creative of you to make your heel into a shack and then stab him right in the groin with his own knife." Ryan smiled a little. "I'm proud of you."

"The district attorney doesn't even know if he wants to press charges against him for kidnapping you and holding you prisoner since he's a death row inmate anyways. Horatio's fighting him to press charges after what he did. The other Crip Kings are having charges pressed against them. Horatio's fighting for the death penalty in those cases also. Tommy might be a different situation though. The claims he's making that he helped you might save him, but we don't know what's going to happen to him."

Ryan looked at the ring in his hand. He turned it over several times. Ryan carefully placed the ring on Jessica's right finger.

"I know it's not the one you usually wear it on, but there's no way I'm going to be able to get it to fit on your finger for a few weeks, I think." Ryan looked longingly at the young woman in the hospital bed. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, as he started to cry again.

"Alexx told us to come in and say our good byes, but I'm not ready to do that. I know it's selfish to ask but please don't leave me Jessica. I need you. You've become more than just a part of my life. You are my life and I want to spend the rest of it with you.

"Please Jessica, I love you. I need you to come back to me. Don't leave me in this world without you, I won't make it. Please, come back. I love you."

Ryan placed his forehead against Jessica's knuckles on the hand that he still held in his own. He cried so hard his whole body was shaking. He kissed Jessica's hand and looked at her lifeless body. He knew he had to say it, just in case Alexx was right.

"I know you're probably in a lot of pain right now and you want that relief. Do what you need to do Jessie. I'll ok either way. You can go. I'll always love you no matter what. You are my world and my soul and without you I'm incomplete. But do what's best for you. I'll support your decision despite how much it'll hurt." Ryan kissed the ring on her hand. "That's my promise to you."

Ryan looked one more time at the beautiful woman and felt his heart break knowing what was to come soon.

"Good bye Jessica. You are the best thing to ever come into my life. I hope we see each other again in another life."

Ryan continued to sit at Jessica's side and cry. He couldn't believe he was about to loose the one person in the world that he loved more than anything.

Then Ryan felt Jessica's hand gently squeeze his.

* * *

><p>Jessica was laying there in the darkness. She had no clue where she was or where Horatio had gone. Pain still ran through her body like hot fire. She heard someone approach her. There was a slight clattering noise next to her. She felt someone pick up her hand and hold it. She recognized the feel of his skin against her own and knew who it was.<p>

"_Oh Jessica," he finally said, "You would be appalled if you knew they had you in a yellow gown."_

"Ryan!" Jessica yelled, "Ryan please help me!" But nothing happened. Ryan continued to talk.

"_Jessie, I love you so much. I'm so glad you're safe now. The team caught James. He's headed back to Illinois after the doctors fix him up. Personally I don't understand why they're bothering. He's a death row inmate. What does he need his penis reattached for anyways?" _Ryan squeezed Jessica's hand. _"I must say though, that was pretty creative of you to make your heel into a shack and then stab him with it. Than stabbing him right in the groin with his own knife."_

There was a momentary pause before Ryan said _"I'm proud of you."_

Jessica couldn't help but chuckle at Ryan's joke. He always knew just what to say to make her feel better.

"_The district attorney doesn't even know if he wants to press charges against him for kidnapping you and holding you prisoner since he's a death row inmate anyways. Horatio's fighting him to press charges after what he did. The other Crip Kings are having charges pressed against them. Horatio's fighting for the death penalty in those cases also._ _Tommy might be a different situation though. The claims he's making that he helped you might save him, but we don't know what's going to happen to him."_

"They had better kill those bastards for my imprisonment! After what they did to me they deserve to have their brains fried out!"

Jessica felt something slip onto her right ring finger. She couldn't move her hand and she couldn't see it but she knew exactly what it was.

"_I know it's not the one you usually wear it on, but there's no way I'm going to be able to get it to fit on your finger for a few weeks, I think." _

"Oh Ryan, please don't leave me here! I'm scared!"

Then Jessica felt Ryan kiss her forehead and felt a few of his tears drop into her hair.

"_Alexx told us to come in and say our good byes, but I'm not ready to do that. I know it's selfish to ask but please don't leave me Jessica. I need you. You've become more than just a part of my life. You are my life and I want to spend the rest of it with you."_

"I'm not going anywhere Ryan! I'm staying right here with you!"

"_Please Jessica, I love you. I need you to come back to me. Don't leave me in this world without you, I won't make it. Please, come back. I love you."_

Jessica felt herself start to cry as she realized where this was going. "No Ryan, you can do this without me. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for."

"_I know you're probably in a lot of pain right now and you want that relief. Do what you need to do Jessie. I'll ok either way. You can go. I'll always love you no matter what. You are my world and my soul and without you I'm incomplete. But do what's best for you. I'll support your decision despite how much it'll hurt."_

Jessica was starting to fear that maybe Alexx was right. "Ryan it hurts so much, but I know it'll hurt worse without you here. Please help me Ryan! I'm not ready to leave this world without you!"

Ryan kissed the ring on her hand._ "That's my promise to you."_

"No Ryan! Please don't leave me!" Jessica yelled as she sobbed loudly.

"_Good bye Jessica. You are the best thing to ever come into my life. I hope we see each other again in another life."_

"NOOOO! I'm not leaving you Ryan!" Jessica continued to yell, "Please don't leave me here! I need you to help me! I don't know where I am but if you stay with me at least I'm not alone! Don't let them take me away!"

Jessica could feel Ryan place her hand against his forehead and his body began to shake. She could hear him crying heavily. He lowered her hand back down and continued to cry.

Jessica started pulling on Ryan's arm as hard as she could. Her arms felt like they were made of lead and there were no muscles in her hands. She had to get his attention and let him know that she was alive. She was sobbing so hard she could barely breathe. She yelled at the top of her lungs to him. "RYAN!"

"_Jessie? Oh my god Alexx! She moved her hand!"_

* * *

><p>"Jessie?" Ryan said. He looked down at his hand and saw Jessica's squeezing his gently. Her whole arm seemed to be trembling and her knuckles were turning white. "Oh my god Alexx!" Ryan yelled, "She moved her hand."<p>

Alexx came rushing into the room and looked down at Jessica's hand. She rested hers gently on top and could feel how hard she was shaking. Alexx looked at the monitors and realized they were producing more rapid signals. Alexx slammed her hand against a button on the wall and almost immediately other doctors and nurses began appearing in the room. Two nurses pushed in a crash cart and Alexx grabbed Ryan's shoulder.

"Honey I need you to wait in the hall, we need all the space we can get." Alexx told him.

"Alexx, what's going on?" Ryan asked confused.

"Baby girl's having a panic attack and we need to calm her down before she crashes." Alexx pushed Ryan out the door and slammed it shut behind him.

Ryan stood there unsure of what to do. A nurse walked up and placed her hand on his arm.

"Officer Wolfe, how about we go back to the waiting room?" she asked him. Ryan nodded his head and allowed the nurse to take him back to the god awful room he had been stuck in for so long.

Horatio looked up when he heard the doors open to see Ryan being led in by a nurse. He looked pale and shaky. Horatio feared what had happened in the room. He stood and walked to Ryan.

Horatio placed his hands on Ryan's shoulders. "Ryan, what happened?" Ryan just shook his head, unable to speak. "Is Jessica alright? What's wrong?" Horatio continued to ask.

"Lieutenant Caine," the nurse said, "Your daughter is having a panic attack. We're attempting to calm her down to avoid any major problems. Dr. Woods is working on her right now."

Horatio stood there stunned. "How is it possible that Jessica's having a panic attack when she's in a coma? She shouldn't have enough brain function for that."

Nurse shook her head. "We don't understand how it's happening either. When we have an answer we'll let you know." With that she walked away, leaving Horatio and Ryan alone again.

Horatio pulled Ryan over to the chairs and forced him to sit. Ryan had started crying again and was close to hyperventilating. Horatio sat in the chair next to him and held Ryan's hand.

"Ryan relax," Horatio said, "You did nothing wrong"

"But she's going to die and it's all my fault." Ryan gasped, "I left her. I let her go. I should have stayed. And now she's having a panic attack because of me. I've ruined her life!"

"No Ryan you haven't ruined anyone's life. She asked you to get out of the car so you could live. She cares so much about you, she couldn't stand the thought of them killing you. Jessica's going to make it through this and everything's going to go back to normal."

Ryan calmed down and his breathing slowed down. "Do you really think she's going to make it?"

Horatio smiled. "Do you really know my daughter like you think you do?"

Just then Alexx came bursting through the door into the waiting room. "Alright young man," she said to Ryan, pulling up a chair, "I know for a fact that you've been saying this whole thing is your fault. Well it hasn't been up until this point. Let me finish before you start panicking." she said as Ryan made a loud whimper sound. "Between what you and Horatio said to her something caused her to panic. Now we have had people display certain emotions while in a coma, but fear is not one of them, it's too difficult for the subconscious brain. Something you said caused her to become scared and then she started panicking.

"We were able to calm her down and get her stabilized again, but something strange happened. While we were trying to calm her down she opened her eyes and screamed your name. It only last maybe seven seconds and then she was out again. She's in the come again but stabilized now, but she keeps reaching out with her right hand." Alexx held Ryan's hand. "I think she's looking for you baby. You need to tell her you're leaving but that you'll be back. She needs her rest and I think having you around might keep her from fully relaxing. Besides I think you need to go home and get a good night sleep, too."

Ryan looked at Alexx confused. "I made her panic?"

Alexx nodded. "Yes baby but it's a good thing. This means her brain is still functioning." She smiled at him and Ryan could see her eyes mist over. "She's going to be just fine."

Ryan laughed a raspy laugh and tears trailed down his cheeks. "She's going to make it."

Alexx stood and pulled Ryan to his feet. "Come on baby, let's go tell Jessie Bug you're leaving so she can sleep." Alexx turned to Horatio. "I'll be back for you so you can tell her, too, Horatio. I think baby girl would want to see her daddy before he leaves."

Ryan followed Alexx into Jessica's room. There was a new IV bag hanging from the pole and her face was flushed. He sat down in the chair next to her bed. Jessica lifted her hand and closed and opened her fist. Ryan gently took it in his hand and held it gently.

"Hey Jessie," he said, "I'm here love. I have to leave now. I need to go home and sleep and maybe do some other stuff. But I'll be back tomorrow, I promise. You need to rest Jessie. Please try to relax and sleep." Ryan stroked her hair. He could smell the grease and body dirt from not showering. He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "You're going to be just fine. We're in this together and that's how it's always going to be." He rested his hand on her cheek and smile. "I'll see you tomorrow Jessie Belle."

Ryan stood and walked back to Alexx. She was looking at Jessica and smiled.

"What is it?" Ryan asked.

Alexx shook her head. "She looks more restful, like nothing's bothering her now."

Ryan turned and looked at Jessica and smiled. Her head had rolled slightly to the right and there was less tension in her body. "Yeah, she does."

Alexx pulled Ryan in for a hug. "Come on let's go get Horatio so you two can leave already."

* * *

><p>Horatio drove back to the crime lab with Ryan. Neither man said anything. Ryan stared out the window, lost in thought. He didn't realize they were back at the lab until Horatio touched his shoulder.<p>

"Why are we back here?" Ryan asked.

"Do you have your stuff?"

Ryan reached into his pockets and realized they were empty. In his hast to change he had forgotten to grab his stuff out of his other pants and locker. "No."

"Then we should probably get that before we leave." Horatio gave him a weak smile.

They walked out of the elevator onto their floor and all eyes were on them. No one spoke. No one moved. It was like the life had left the room, as a sober tone set in.

Calleigh came running down the hall. She stopped in front of the two men and looked at them, her large eyes full of sorrow.

"Horatio," she said, "Please tell me she's ok."

Horatio gave her a weak smile. "Jessica's alive. She's in a coma right now, but it seems she's still responding to her surroundings. It's too early to tell anything for sure, but Alexx thinks her chances of a full recovery are good."

Calleigh covered her mouth and sighed in relief. "Oh thank god. We've all been worried about her. I don't think any work got done today."

"Has anyone processed the boat yet?" Horatio asked.

Calleigh shook her head. "We have it detained at the dock but we decided to hold off on processing until you were back."

"Alright, make a note telling the graveyard shift they are not to touch it." Horatio said, "We'll start first thing in the morning. This case is taking priority over the others. We're going home now. Thank you Calleigh for watching over the lab while I was gone."  
>"Not a problem H. you needed to be with Jessica." Calleigh hugged him. "I'm so sorry this has happened. She'll make it Horatio, she's strong, just like her father." Calleigh turned her attention to Ryan. She gave him her cheerful smile and Ryan couldn't help but feel his spirit lift. "Oh Ryan, you must be one of the strongest people I know." She hugged him tightly. "You saved her, you really did. If you hadn't known how to track that call we wouldn't have found her. And then jumping into the ocean to get her, you're incredible."<p>

Ryan blinked back tears. "It wasn't just me though. We worked together to bring her home."

Calleigh pecked him on the cheek. "Everything's going to be fine. She'll be out of the hospital before you know and we can go back to the way things were."

Ryan gave her a hopeful smile. "Thank you Calleigh."

Horatio walked into the locker room with Ryan. Ryan retrieved his wallet, phone, and glock from the top shelf of his locker while Horatio found his glock where Ryan had placed it earlier. Ryan was digging through his wet pants looking for his keys when Horatio said something.

"What did Jessica ask you?" Horatio asked him.

Ryan looked at him rather confused. "When?"

"When you were in the Keys. You told her on the phone that she asked you something in the Keys and you told her if she asked you now you would say yes. What was it?"

Ryan sniffed and brushed another tear from his cheek. "She asked me to marry her." Ryan took a shaky breathe. "Someone had called us Mr. and Mrs. Wolfe and she said that we should get married that night. I told her no, it wasn't the right time for that."

Horatio was genuinely surprised. "Did you mean it when you said you would say yes now?"

Ryan hesitated but nodded his head. "I love her so much. Sometimes I wonder what out life would have been like if I had said yes."

Horatio took Ryan's hand in his own. "We would still be here, this would still be happening, and it would be even more difficult to endure this."

Ryan broke again and the tears started falling again. He allowed Horatio to pull him against his shoulder into his arms. Horatio felt Ryan's tears soak into his jacket.

"Did she at least get on one knee?" Horatio jokingly asked.

Ryan couldn't help but chuckle. "No and she didn't even have a ring for me."

Horatio released Ryan from his arms. Horatio squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

"What would you have done if I had said yes?" Ryan asked.

Horatio stood there, unsure of what to say. "Well, I really don't know. I would have been happy for the two of you. Maybe not happy with the hasty decision, but I would have still been supportive."

"Thank you H." Ryan said.

Ryan straightened up and picked up his glock. "H, can I ask you something?"

"Anything" Horatio responded.

Ryan unclipped the magazine of his glock. "Where are my bullets?"

Horatio looked at Ryan with a concerned expression. "Tommy told me James had marked himself for death. He wanted me to kill him."

"So you took my ammo because you didn't think you could trust me. You didn't think I would have the self control to not shoot James."

Horatio's eyes filled with sorrow. "I couldn't take a chance of you shooting him. That would have meant James had won. But if it makes a difference…" Horatio pulled out his magazine, it was empty. "I didn't trust myself either."

* * *

><p>Ryan and Horatio walked into the crime lab the next day to find the team getting ready to leave.<p>

"What's going on?" Horatio asked.

"We're headed out to process the crime scene and Jessica." Calleigh answered, "Natalia and I are going to the hospital to document Jessica's injuries and talk to Alexx about the surgery she had to undergo."  
>"And Cardoza and I are going to the dock to process the boat." Eric said.<p>

Horatio nodded his head. "Alright, just call if you need anything. Come on Ryan." But Ryan didn't move. He stood there looking at Eric's kit.

"H, can I go with Eric and Jesse?" he asked.

Horatio shook his head. "I'm sorry Ryan, not only would it be a conflict of interest but I don't think you need to see that place."  
>"Please H?"<p>

"No Ryan and that's final! You can help me fill out paperwork. We both need something boring to keep our minds off of Jessica."

Ryan sighed and followed his boss to his office. "This sucks."  
>Horatio couldn't help but chuckle. "You've been spending too much time with Jessie Bug."<p>

* * *

><p>Natalia and Calleigh followed Alexx and a nurse named Pat into Jessica's room.<p>

"Baby girl has some extremely extensive injuries." Alexx said, "I think it would be best if I explained them as you document them." Alexx stopped talking and covered her mouth with her hand. Tears formed in her eyes as she looked at Jessica. "I'm sorry, this has been just so difficult. I've been so worried about her and the chief has been on my case since she was admitted."  
>"What's wrong Alexx?" Calleigh asked.<p>

"I may have told the chief to fuck himself when he tried to remove me from this case. I told him there are more important things in life than a job."  
>"He was going to fire you?"<p>

Alexx nodded her head. "For insubordination; he tried to take me off this case and I told him no, Jessie Bug is more important to me than anything else."

Calleigh squeezed Alexx's shoulder. "Let's get started, the sooner we get this done the sooner we can bring Jessica justice."

* * *

><p>Jesse and Eric walked onto the fishing boat and were met with a grueling sight. There was blood everywhere on the deck and bits of flesh and internal organs.<p>

"My god," Jesse said, "And this was just Jessica's doing?"

"Yeah, but it was self defense. They tortured her and she snapped and attacked them back."

"The poor girl, I can't image what she went threw."

Three hours later they finally finished processing the deck and collecting evidence.

"Shall we go down below?" Jesse asked.

"Yeah, not that either of us wants to." Eric said soberly.

They walked down the stairs and the smell that meant them was unbearable. Dried blood was everywhere and there was needles scattered around the room. There was a bloody mass lying in a corner. Eric walked over and looked down.

"Oh god" he muttered.

"What is it?" Jesse asked, walking up next to him.

"I'm hoping it's just a placenta or else Jessie might be missing something." Eric lifted his camera and took a picture. "And from the looks of it it's been here for a few days, which is probably the source of the rotting smell."

Jesse shook his head in disgust. "I hope Horatio is able to have this guy prosecuted." Jesse looked around the room. "You start over here and I'll start on that side?"

"Yeah" Eric said, snapping more pictures of the room.

They collected evidence and took pictures. Eric snapped a picture of a colorful striped thong on the floor. He picked it up and looked it over.

"I'm going to guess this belongs to Jessica, orange and pink don't seem like they'd be James's colors." He placed the thong in a plastic bag and tossed it with the rest of the evidence he had collected. A thought crossed Eric's mind and a sudden feeling of disgust more came him.

"She's my niece." he muttered.

"What?" Jesse asked.

"Jessica, she's my niece."  
>Jesse was confused. "How?"<p>

"Horatio married my sister, Marisol. She died four years ago. Technically Horatio is still my brother-in-law because he and Marisol were still married when she was shot. That means Jessica is my niece. Oh god."

"You going to be ok?" Jesse asked.

"Yeah, I think so. It's just so difficult knowing that this is my family that he hurt. I mean, yeah the team is kind of a family but this girl _is_ my family." Eric looked at Jesse. "You don't think this is going to be conflict of interest, do you?"

Jesse thought it over. "You know, I'm not sure. She's not related by blood and Horatio is a widower so the court might see it that way. Maybe just don't bring it up and hope for the best?"

Eric slowly nodded his head. "I hope so."

* * *

><p>Horatio was sitting at his desk, trying to take care of some paperwork that he needed to have finished. It was the day after Jessica had been found and his desk was already swamped with cases and warrants that needed to be filled out. Calleigh and Walter had volunteered to take care of it and have it waiting for Horatio to look over and sign off when he returned from the hospital. "Horatio you need to be with Jessica right now." Calleigh had said, "Walter and I will take care of this for you. She needs you more than anyone right now."<p>

Horatio's phone buzzed. He looked down to see the number from the morgue flashing.

"Caine" he said as he answered.

"Horatio it's Tom. Can you come down to the morgue? I have something I want to show you."

"Yeah, I'll be right down."  
>"Can you bring Ryan with you? I think you both need to hear this."<p>

Horatio was concerned with Tom's statement. "Yeah, I'll find him."

Horatio hung up his phone and wandered down the hall to find Ryan. He had released the younger man to go take a break from helping him, in hopes Ryan's mood would lighten after being denied a chance to go to the crime scene. He found Ryan sitting at the table in the break room with a cup of coffee in his hand. There was a magazine in front of him but it seemed Ryan had long stopped reading it.

"Ryan," Horatio said, walking into the room, "Tom wants us in the morgue."  
>Ryan looked at Horatio with his large hazel eyes. "What about?"<p>

Horatio shook his head. "I don't know, he wouldn't say. The only thing he told me was that he wanted us both there."

Ryan stood from his chair and walked over to the door. "Alright."

They made their way down to the morgue. Tom was standing at one of the stainless steel tables. At first it appeared empty, but when they got closer Horatio could see something small and flesh colored sitting on the table. His heart clenched when he realized what it was. Horatio stopped at the table and looked down at the painful sight of his granddaughter. Tom had been performing an autopsy on her.

"Horatio, I wanted to tell you about some of my finding. I'm sorry you have to see her this way, but something struck me when I looked at her." Tom started to explain. "See how large her forehead and the bridge of her nose are?" Horatio nodded his head. "Can you also see that her tongue is ever so slightly protruding past her lips?" Horatio leaned in to get a better look and nodded.

"Well I couldn't help but wonder about something." Tom continued on. "These physical characteristics are just three of the most common you find in individuals who developed with an extra copy of the twenty-first chromosome. I took a sample and sent it to DNA for testing and it turns out my hunch was correct. Jessica and Ryan's child had an extra chromosome twenty-one."

Tom handed Horatio a print out and he looked over it briefly. "Downs syndrome."

Tom nodded his head. "And that isn't the only thing I found. I also noticed that her head wasn't the correct shape for a child with Downs syndrome. When I opened her skull I found this." Tom pulled back the delicate skull of the tiny child. "See how her brain is more circular than oval shaped? That's because she's missing part of her frontal lube."

Ryan looked at Tom with a shocked expression. "But what would cause that?"

Tom sighed and looked at him. "I know it wasn't intentional. I know Jessica would never do something like that. I tried to find another answer, but I couldn't."

"What?" Ryan pressed.

"The only thing that I've been able to determine that could cause this lack of development is fetal alcohol syndrome."  
>Ryan felt his heart break. "My god." he said, as he covered his mouth with his hand.<p>

"Are you sure nothing else could have caused this, Tom?" Horatio asked, placing his hand on Ryan's shoulder.

Tom shook his head. "Like I said I know Jessica would never intentionally put her baby at risk. Natalia said Jessica was seventeen weeks along and that she had only just learned she was pregnant a little over a month ago. That means there was two to three months that Jessica was completely clueless she was pregnant. My guess is she had a few drinks during her first few months and that's what caused this." Tom looked at Ryan. "It couldn't have been her fault."

"Tom," Horatio said, "If this child had made it through the gestation period and had been born how would having Downs syndrome and fetal alcohol syndrome affect her development as a child?"

Tom sighed again. "She would have needed around the clock care. She wouldn't have been able to take care of her self. She would probably be wheelchair bound, have to eat through a feeding tube, and been in diapers her entire life."

"How long would she have lived?" Ryan asked.

Tom's face became pained and he shook his head. "She would have only lived somewhere between five to eight years. It would have been a difficult life for her, too."

Ryan blinked back tears. He couldn't help but feel Tom was telling him his daughter would have been more of a burden than a joy. "I would have loved her anyway."

Tom gave him a weak but caring smile. "I know you would have. You're a good man Ryan Wolfe. That's what she would have needed, too. Caring, patient, loving parents, everything you and Jessica would have been to her."

Horatio squeezed Ryan's shoulder. "How about we go see our girl now?"

Ryan nodded his head. "Yeah, I think I need her."


	15. Inside Their Mind

Inside their mind

Ryan sat next to Jessica's bed, holding her hand. It had been five days since they found her and she still hadn't woke up from the coma. Ryan turned her right hand over in his own, looking at every inch of the only part of her body that wasn't damaged.

"Please Jessica, wake up. I'm so alone without you." he whispered to her. Jessica continued to lay there motionless. Ryan squeezed her hand and kissed her knuckles. "I'm going to get something to drink. I'll be right back."

Ryan walked out of the small room and down the hall. He knew there was a vending machine just down the hall and around the corner. Ryan was lost deep in his thoughts and was shocked back to reality when he felt someone bump into him.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention." he quickly said to the person and looked up to see Alexx. "Alexx!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms around her. Ryan wasn't exactly sure why he was so excited to see her.

"Hey baby, having a rough day?" she asked him, returning the hug.

Ryan nodded his head, pulling back from their embrace. "She's not responding to anything I say to her. She just lays there. It's like she's dead." Ryan sniffed and blinked back tears.

Alexx placed her hand on his cheek and gave him a reassuring smile. "She's strong, Jessie Bug will come back to us. Now you'll have to excuse me. I need to get these forms to neurology specialist; it's for another one of my patients." Ryan didn't miss the disgusted look on Alexx's face. "Am I allowed to ask who?" Ryan asked.

"You are but I'm not allowed to disclose that information. Sorry baby." Alexx patted his shoulder. "She'll be back before you know it." With that Alexx walked down the hall and out of sight.

Ryan stood there for a moment and looked at the only door left in the hall. He walked up to it and read the name posted outside it. "Wilson, James" Ryan felt like vomiting, he understood why Alexx had looked so disgusted at the mention of her other patient. His breathing quickened and walked away from the door. He needed to get as much distance between him and that bastard as he could.

Ryan found the vending machine. He paid for a drink and grabbed it out of the machine. He stood there leaning his forehead against the vending machine, just trying to breath. How could they keep him just eight rooms away from Jessica? Ryan could feel his hands shaking and his heart rate pick up. Then he felt like he could no longer control himself.

Ryan took off down the hall and stopped at the room. He looked around and then slipped inside the private room.

There he was, handcuffed to his bed, an IV drip of morphine attached to his arm. He was asleep. Ryan walked up and looked at him. He then looked at the IV pole. He reached over and cranked the dispense level all the way to zero. Ryan sat in the chair next to his bed and propped his feet up on the bed. He opened the soda, took a drink, and waited.

* * *

><p>It was so dark and she was so cold. Jessica just wanted Ryan to come back. She knew where he had gone but it shouldn't be taking him this long to get back from the vending machine. She wanted him there so badly.<p>

Something didn't seem right about this situation. Jessica needed to tell someone something was about to happen, she could feel it. Where was Alexx? Ryan was in trouble and she needed to tell Alexx. Something bad was about to happen to Ryan. He was going to need Jessica's help.

Where was everyone?

* * *

><p>James groaned and clenched his fist. The pain was so bad. Why wasn't the morphine that hot doctor gave him working? James opened his eyes and turned his head towards his IV. Someone was sitting there next to him. It took a minute for his eyes to adjust before he could see a man about his age sitting in the chair drinking a soda and reading his chart. James recognized him but he wasn't sure where he had seen him before.<p>

The man looked at James and gave him an evil smile. "Good morning James. How are you feeling today?"

"Who are you?" James asked. He groaned as the throbbing in his groin and shoulder increased.

The man laughed. "You don't recognize me? Well I guess we only met each other briefly. Maybe you would know my daughter better? You know the one you killed?"

James felt his heart rate quicken. He felt frightened but pleased. "Ryan Wolfe" he sneered.

The man gave him a dirty smirk and nodded his head briefly. He continued to look over James's chart, flipping back and forth between the pages.

"So it seems you had your penis nearly cut off by Jessica." Ryan said, "Now why would she do that?" Ryan's eyes glazed over and he yelled, "Oh that's right because you're a fucking bastard and raped her!" He stood and threw the chart onto James's abdomen. He leaned in really close to James's face. "You mother fucker, how could you do that to my Jessica?"

James laughed. "Who's Jessica? I just spent three days with my Izzy."

Ryan struck James against the head with his bottle of soda. Ryan grabbed James's throat and held him in place. "You fucking bitch, you know Elizabeth's dead. You kidnapped my Jessica and now she's in a coma."  
>James laughed at Ryan. "Good then my plan is working. Izzy and I will soon be together again!"<p>

Ryan smashed the bottle against James's head again. He released his hold on his neck and stood up. "That's where you're wrong. Elizabeth may have been weak but Jessica is anything but."

Ryan looked at the IV drip. "You must be in some serious pain. A tendon ripped in your shoulder, intestines torn, and your penis cut off. Maybe this will help." Ryan grabbed the control dial and cranked it all the way up. Morphine started pouring into James's IV line. James tried to grab the line from his arm but the handcuffs made it impossible.

"Turn it off! It'll kill me!" James begged, as panic started to settle in.

Ryan laughed a dark, evil laugh. "Why?"

"Please Ryan! Turn it off!"

Ryan pulled the bottle above his head and brought it down hard onto James's groin. James cried out and blood began to pool onto the sheets. James was quickly becoming too weak to struggle.

"Please Ryan, don't let me die like this!" James cried, his words starting to slur because of the morphine.

Ryan laughed again. "Why? I'm saving Illinois and Florida the time they could be spending arguing about who gets to fire your brains out." Ryan turned and walked out of the room.

James laid there, feeling the strong drug over take him. He tried to reach for the call button but Ryan had moved it out of his reach and he couldn't break free of the handcuffs. "Help!" James weakly cried out. "Please someone help!"

Then the world went dark.

* * *

><p>Jessica was crying. She couldn't stop. She needed Ryan. Where was he?<p>

"_Hey Jess, sorry I was gone so long. I needed to take care of something."_ Jessica felt his hand slip into hers. She started to relax knowing Ryan was back. _"I'm going to have to talk to Alexx about that vending machine, the soda I bought is completely flat."_ Jessica smiled at his comment and felt relieved he was back. _"Hey there's the smile I've missed for so long! Can you hear me love?"_ Jessica squeezed her hand and felt Ryan squeeze it back. _"Oh Jessica, that's what I've been looking for all day! I have to go now though. I'll be back tomorrow though. Don't wait for me though. Please try and wake up while I'm gone."_ He kissed her forehead. _"I love you Jessica, and I always will no matter what."_

Jessica felt his lips touch her forehead again and then she smelled it. There was the familiar scent she would never forget. Her breathing quickened and she became frightened. Could he be in the room with her right now? No, he couldn't. Ryan wouldn't just stand there and do nothing. He would protect her. But why could she smell him?

Jessica heard Ryan leave the room and the smell left, too. How was that possible? She needed to wake up and tell someone what had just happened.

Jessica struggled, feeling panic set in again. She was crying and she needed someone. "Alexx!" she yelled. She knew Alexx had to be somewhere nearby. "Alexx!"

"_Baby girl, did you just yell my name?"_

* * *

><p>Alexx was walking back down the hall to James's room to check on him. He was being so needy and Alexx was sure he was faking most of his pain, but as a doctor she had to uphold her integrity to care for every patient that was assigned to her.<p>

"Alexx!" she heard someone yell. Alexx stopped and looked at the open door next to her. It was Jessica's room. Alexx poked her head in and could she Jessica was starting to thrash around in her bed. "Alexx!" she yelled again.

"Baby girl, did you just yell my name?" she asked, approaching Jessica's bed.

"Alexx!" Jessica cried. She turned her head towards Alexx and opened her eyes. Alexx screamed in surprise. "Oh my god Jessie Bug! Are you awake?" Alexx stood over her and began examining her. She hit the call button and soon two nurses appeared in the door.

"Dr. Woods, what's going on?" one of the nurses asked.

"I think Jessica's awake, can you please get me some assistance here?" Alexx hastily asked.

"Alexx?" Jessica gasped, "You can hear me?"

Alexx smiled. "Yes baby girl, I can. Can you see me?"

Jessica nodded her head. "Alexx something's wrong with Ryan. I don't know how to explain it but when he was gone I could feel he was in trouble and then when he came back he smelled…he smelled like James."

Alexx's eyes grew huge. She turned to look at the nurses that were starting to prep for tests and recording stats from Jessica's monitors. "One of you go check on Wilson, now!"

One of the nurses hurried out of the room and Jessica could hear her open a door and scream. "Dr. Woods we've got a problem!"

Alexx shook her head. "Baby girl I'm going to leave you here with Pat, she'll take care of you. I have to attend to another patient before we get a lawsuit."  
>"No Alexx please don't leave me!" Jessica reached out with her good arm.<p>

"Baby you need to trust me, ok? Pat will take good care of you. I'll be back, I promise."

Alexx rushed out of the room and Jessica was alone with the nurse named Pat. She looked at Pat and tears formed in her eyes. "What's going on?"

Pat smiled a caring smile at her and stroked her hair. "You're awake and we need to do a check up to make sure you're ok. We're going to call your father as soon as we can to tell him how you're doing. But right now you need to relax or you'll have a panic attack, ok? This will help, but it might make you fall asleep."  
>"But I don't want to go back to sleep! What if I don't wake up again?"<p>

"Trust me, you'll wake up, but this time it will be your choice."

Jessica felt her head grow heavy as she watched Pat injected something into her IV. She sighed and looked at the woman. She looked like Horatio's ex-wife, Sue, but she was plumper than the uptight Sue. "Ok, I'll trust you Pat."

* * *

><p>Horatio walked into the locker room. He saw Ryan standing there at his locker. The door was open and taped to the inside of door was the picture of the ultrasound from the day Sherzer shot up the crime lab. Horatio didn't care though, he was furious with Ryan.<p>

Horatio walked up to Ryan and grabbed him by the collar. He spun him around and slammed Ryan against the lockers hard. Ryan's head hit hard and he groaned in pain. "H?" he said.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Horatio growled in his face.

"What do you mean?"

"I just got a call from Alexx saying that James nearly over dosed on morphine and his stitches popped and he nearly bled out." Horatio explained lividly, "She also told me that she talked to you thirty minutes before James was found, and you were right outside his room. What the fuck do you think you're doing Ryan? Do you understand how much trouble you could have caused us if he had died?"

Ryan glared at Horatio. "He hurt the woman I love! I wanted him to feel the pain that I did!"

"He's going to feel that pain when he's sent to the chair! You can't take these things into your own hands Ryan! If he had died we could have had some serious issues!"

"But he hurt Jessica! And I love her more than anything in the world! I couldn't stand the thought of him living anymore!" Ryan cried, "She's my soul mate!"

"And she's my daughter!" Horatio yelled, "Don't you think this hurts me a little more than it does you? I watched my daughter be tortured and raped by the man that killed her father and my Izzy! Don't you think I want him dead, too, Ryan?" Horatio released his grip on Ryan's shirt. "Let the state of Illinois take care of him. I just got a call from the DA and they're pushing his execution date up, that is if the charges against him in Florida aren't pursued since he's already sentenced to death."

Horatio turned and started to walk out of the locker room.

"Please," Ryan sneered, "You're only her father on paper. You have no ties to her."

Horatio turned and punched Ryan dead center in the nose. Ryan felt the crack of bones breaking and blood run down his face as his head bounced off the lockers. Once he regained his balance he sprang at Horatio and punched him hard in the eye. Horatio slammed Ryan into the lockers again, but Ryan got the upper hand and hit Horatio hard in the jaw, sending him staggering. Horatio lunged at Ryan hit him right in the shiner Jessica had left.

"Oh my god, H, Ryan!" they heard someone yell. Just as Horatio had placed his hands around Ryan's neck someone grabbed his arms and pulled him off. Horatio watched Eric grab Ryan and hold him back.

"Let me go!" Horatio yelled.

"No, not until you calm down." He heard Jesse say.

"Just let me finish him!" Ryan yelled.

"Are you nuts?" Eric hollered at Ryan.

"Stop it! Both of you!" it was Natalia who had been yelling. She stood in between the two men and looked at them. "What's wrong with you two? You're acting like children! Is this really how Jessica would want the two most important people in her life acting like when she's lying in a hospital bed, possibly dying? You should be ashamed of yourselves." Natalia turned and walked out of the locker room without another word.

Ryan stood there looking at the tile floor. Natalia was right; he was ashamed of his actions.

"Come on." Eric whispered to him. They walked into the bathroom. Eric grabbed some paper towels and started cleaning Ryan's face. Ryan winched at the pain when Eric touched his nose.

"It's broken alright." Eric said, "Didn't know H had it in him. You must have really pissed him off. What did you say that made him so mad?"

Ryan continued to stare at the floor. "I told him Jessica was only his daughter on paper."  
>Eric looked at Ryan in disbelief. "You really said that to him? What are you, stupid?"<p>

Ryan blinked back tears he could feel forming. "I really am, aren't I?"

"Ryan," Eric said sympathetically, "You just weren't thinking, were you? Come on let's get you to the hospital so we can get that nose fixed."

"Alright" Ryan said, as he followed his best friend out of the bathroom. The locker room was empty. When they got to the parking lot they climbed into Eric's car.

Eric sighed and looked at Ryan. Bruises were already forming under each of his eyes and the towel he held against his face was quickly staining red.

"Sometimes Ryan I wonder what goes on in that head of yours." Eric said consolingly to him.

"Sometimes I wonder the same thing." Ryan replied.

"Are you still seeing that therapist?" Eric pulled out onto the street and head in the direction of the hospital.

Ryan shook his head. "I haven't been to Dr. Thompson in a while. Everything was going so well…." Ryan trailed off at that thought of the current events.

"Maybe you should stop in and talk to her. It helped me to talk to my therapist about things after I was shot. I mean this was a major thing that happened to you. You can't keep it bottled up Ryan. Trying to kill people and beating up your boss. You might not want to admit it but you need help."

Ryan stared out the window. "I think you're right. I'll give her a call later."

Eric smiled at him. "That's the Ryan I know."

* * *

><p>They arrived at the hospital and were sent to the third floor. A nurse came out and took Ryan back to an examination room. He sat on the table and looked around the room. Then Alexx walked in.<p>

"Baby, don't you know that there's a limit of the number of times you can come here?" she jokingly said to him. Ryan couldn't help but chuckle and smile. "Yeah I can't seem to figure that one out."

"So what happened here? Broken nose?" Alexx asked, carefully pulling the towel off Ryan's face. "Yup that's broken and you're not going to like me after I set it back."

"Well at least I'll look normal again." Ryan winced as Alexx started cleaning his face.

"How did you break it this badly anyways? I thought you were only working in the lab right now until Jess is out of the hospital."

Ryan sighed and looked away from Alexx. "I made Horatio mad. I told him he wasn't really Jessica's father."

Alexx looked at Ryan with a shocked expression. "Ryan Wolfe, of all people I would have thought you would understand the importance of family. You know better than anyone I know that family isn't just about who shares a genetic pool but it's about who cares about your well being. What's gotten into you? You beat up an injured man and then piss off H to the point that he beats the shit out of you."

Ryan felt tears crawl down his cheeks. "I don't know. It's just been so hard since Jessica was kidnapped. She was raped and tortured and he killed my daughter and she almost died." Ryan paused for a moment to catch his breath. "I just feel like my world was destroyed and now I have to figure out how to cope."

"Well baby you know what I'm going to tell you to do."  
>"Go see Dr. Thompson. That's what Eric said, too."<p>

"Well then maybe you should take a hint." Alexx stepped back and discarded the bloody paper towels. "Now you're going to hate me after this but we have to align that nose of yours and its going to hurt like a bitch."  
>Ryan sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them he looked at Alexx.<p>

"Alright, let's do this."

* * *

><p>Ryan walked back into the waiting room. His face was throbbing and he was hoping the pain killers Alexx had given him would kick in soon. Eric couldn't help but chuckle when he saw his friend with his nose bandaged and both eyes blackened.<p>

Eric stood and walked over to Ryan. "Rule number one" he said to Ryan.

"Never piss Horatio Caine off." Ryan finished, laughing lightly about the joke.

"Ready to go home?"

"Not yet, would you mind if I went and saw Jessica before we leave?"

Eric smiled. "Yeah, do you want to go alone?"  
>"Yeah, if you don't mind."<br>Eric clapped Ryan's shoulder. "I'll bring the car around to the door."

Ryan took the elevator up the two floors and walked quickly down the hall to Jessica's room. His stomach churned as he passed James's room, which he guessed was locked now. Ryan opened the door to Jessica's room and froze in the doorway.

Sitting next to Jessica's bed holding her good hand was Horatio. He had a black eye, a busted lip, and a few other bruises on his face and neck. Horatio looked up as the door opened. The expression on his face was a mixture of sorrow and annoyance. Ryan hesitated but entered the room anyways. He was about to take a seat in the chair across the bed from Horatio but Ryan changed his mind. He went around the bed and sat next to his boss.

"Horatio, I'm sorry." Ryan said, "I was an idiot. I should have never gone in James's room and did the things that I did. I was wrong to act like that." Ryan paused, trying to not to let the tears fall he could feel forming. "I'm sorry I said you weren't Jessica's father. Family isn't just about blood and biology. It's about whose there when you need them and the ones that care about you. You're just that, and you always have. You were there for Jessica before she was even born. You're one of the people that raised her. You really are her father. I'm sorry for the way I acted and the things I said."

They sat there for a moment in silence. Ryan didn't think Horatio had anything else to say to him so he stood from his chair. A strong hand on his arm stopped him and Ryan turned to look at Horatio. He had tears forming in his eyes and a look of longing.

"Please don't leave." he whispered, "We need you."

Ryan sat down back in the chair and looked at his boss. He had never seen Horatio cry before and it felt weird to witness such a thing.

"Jessie Bug has been my life since the day she was born." Horatio said, "Jessabelle was so sick but she wanted this baby so bad. When she told me the doctors recommended delivering early to start chemo she called me and asked what she should do. I told her not to deliver. Her baby was so tiny I knew there was no way she would survive. When I asked Jessabelle why she called me and not her husband she told me because she didn't know if Brian was the father."  
>Ryan looked at Horatio shocked. "What do you mean?"<p>

Horatio took a deep breathe before continuing. "Jessabell and I dated before her and Brian got together. It was a short lived thing, but we knew we were in love." Horatio chuckled and smiled. "One night we snuck out of our barracks at the Illinois Police Academy and hooked up in the back of one of patrol cars. It was the most incredible sex I had ever had in my life. I wanted to tell Jessabelle that I loved her but I chickened out. The next day Brian asked her out and she said yes. When I asked her about us she told me she felt like the relationship wasn't going anywhere and she wanted someone who was committed. I never had the chance to tell her I loved her after that. She belonged to Brian.

"The day before their wedding Jessabelle came over to my place. She was crying and told me she didn't know if she loved Brian and didn't want to go through with the wedding. It took forever but I finally calmed her down. She said she loved Brian but there was someone else she had loved for years, and she regretted not telling him. When I asked her who she didn't answer, she kissed me instead.

"We made love for hours that night." Horatio chuckled again, "We were almost late to the wedding the next morning. About a month later Jessabelle discovered she was pregnant, but she didn't actually know who the father was. We hadn't used any form of protection that night before the wedding. Jessabelle didn't know how she would tell Brian if it turned out the baby wasn't his. She called me because she wanted me to have a say in the decision because there was a chance I was the father. She told me Brian would have agreed with the doctors and had the baby delivered early, but Jessabelle knew I would make the decision that was best for the baby, not just her.

"When Jessie Bug was born Jessabelle secretly had a DNA test done. The baby belonged to Jessabelle and Brian. We were relieved but also disappointed. I didn't care though, Jessie Bug was still the daughter I almost had. Jessabelle needed help when she was sick raising Jessie Bug. Brian was so preoccupied with Jessabelle being sick it was like he forgot he had a child. I raised Jessie Bug myself.

"The day Brian died he told me to adopt Jessie Bug. He said he had known the whole time about Jessabelle and me still loving each other. He said it was ok and I shouldn't feel guilty. It was him that should feel guilty about keeping us apart. He said I had been more of a father to Jessie Bug than he had. I told him that wasn't true and that he loved her just as much as I did."

Horatio wiped the tears from his face and leaned his forehead against his hands.

"Did you ever tell Jessica these things?" Ryan asked.

Horatio shook his head. "I didn't want to burden her with the truth. I thought it would be too much for her."

"I always knew you really were my father." They heard a small voice say. Horatio and Ryan looked up to see Jessica's eyes just barely open and her face tear streaked.

"Jessie Bug!" Horatio cried as he stood from his chair. He kissed his daughter's forehead and felt himself cry harder. "You came back!"

Jessica gave him a weak smile. "Of course I did, I couldn't leave you again." She turned and looked at Ryan. "Hey there good looking. What happened to your pretty face?"

Ryan had forgotten about the bandage on his nose and the two black eyes he was now sporting. "I got in a fight, but that's not important right now." Ryan leaned in and placed his hand on Jessica's cheek. "What's important is that you're awake." Ryan leaned down to kiss Jessica's forehead, but she flinched away, causing her to whimper in pain at the sudden movement. Ryan hastily pulled back and looked at her. Jessica didn't miss the hurt in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that." she said. Ryan did his best to smile. "It's ok."

Ryan sat back in his chair and looked at Jessica. "I'm so glad you're back. When did you wake up?"

"Just after you left. Alexx says I was screaming her name." Jessica said, "I thought it was all in my mind again but it turns out I was actually yelling this time. I needed to tell her something."

"What was that?" Ryan asked.

Jessica felt tears form in her eyes. "You were in trouble, I could feel it. When you kissed me I smelled him and I knew he was close to you. I needed to tell someone you were in trouble and Alexx was the first person I could think of. What did happen to you?"

Ryan looked at her surprised. "You knew I was in trouble. But you were here this whole time, in a coma still. How did you know I had been around James?"

Jessica took a gasped breathe. "You were with him? What happened?"

"Jessie Bug," Horatio interjected, "That's not important right now. I promise I'll explain later."

Jessica blinked several times. "Ok" she said.

"I'm going to head back to the lab. Eric's waiting downstairs for me." Ryan said. He looked at Jessica. He tried to hold her hand but she flinched away again and whimpered in pain.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why…" she tried to explain.

"It's fine, really." Ryan tried to say reassuringly. "I'll be back tomorrow, ok?"

Jessica nodded and looked away, hoping he wouldn't see her tears.

"Ok, I'll see you then." Ryan started to walk out. He turned at looked at Jessica and smiled. "I love you Jessie." Jessica nodded her head again and tried to fight the tears.

Then Ryan was gone. Jessica started crying and covered her face with her good hand. "Why is this happening? Why can't he touch me?"

"Jessie, you just endured a grueling three days on a boat being held prisoner. You're going to react this way."

"I can't touch him, I can't hardly look at him, I can't even tell him I lo…." Jessica started crying too hard to speak. Horatio stroked her hair and held her hand. "Everything's going to be ok, Jessie. It's going to take some time, that's all."

After several minutes Jessica finally calmed down. She took a couple of deep breathes and looked at her father.

"Do you want a drink?" he gently asked. Jessica nodded her head. Horatio retrieved the glass of water from the table next to her bed. Jessica's hand shook when Horatio placed the cup in her hand. He held his hand around hers and steadied it as she drank. Horatio took the glass and placed it back on the table.

"You hit him." Jessica said.

"Hit who, Bug?" Horatio asked.

"You hit Ryan, didn't you? That's why your face is bruised, too. You two got in a fight. What happened? Tell me please, what did he do?"

"Nothing gets past you." Horatio sighed, "Ryan did something bad this afternoon."  
>"That's why I knew he was in trouble."<p>

Horatio smiled. "Yes Lassie, Ryan was in trouble. He went into James's room and he hit him several times and turned up his morphine. James almost died but Alexx had to hold up her code of honor and was forced to save him. We don't know for sure if it was Ryan who did it, but Alexx is positive it was him. Alexx said she's not going to give Ryan away though. The last thing we need is for this to get out. We may have to discontinue our pursue of the charges against James or else Ryan may face misconduct charges."

Jessica felt new tears run down her face. "That idiot, what was he thinking?"

"You share a soul, you tell me." Horatio said, leaning back in his chair.

Jessica realized what he was saying. "He wanted to protect me. He was enraged, there's no way he was thinking straight." She looked at Horatio with her big blue eyes. "Diminished capacity, he couldn't form a normal thought process because he's traumatized. He's experiencing post traumatic stress disorder. His judgment was impaired, there's no way he had malice aforethought and could plan this."

Horatio chuckled. "You never cease to amaze me Bug. Wake up from a coma and figure out a way we can get around misconduct charges in order to prosecute a murderer. How does that brain of yours work?"

Jessica giggled and smiled. "Why don't you ask Ryan? Maybe your theory holds up both ways."

* * *

><p>Horatio walked into the lab. He found Ryan standing in the hall talking to Eric and Calleigh. He looked upset but was clearly trying to hide it.<p>

"Ryan!" Horatio yelled. Ryan turned to look at his boss, who was carrying a box under his arm. A rubber duck came flying at him and Ryan caught it before the duck hit him. "H, what are you doing?" Ryan asked, but Horatio didn't answer. Instead he continued to throw things at Ryan.

A Raggedy Ann doll flew threw the air and Ryan just managed to catch it as a stuffed dinosaur jumped at him next. A ball was quickly followed by a stuffed ladybug and Ryan was starting to drop the toys to the ground.

Then Horatio threw a toy boat at him. It was a rubber pirate ship but it looked like a fishing boat. Images flashed threw Ryan's head of Jessica screaming and crying, her falling off the boat to her death, James's cold eyes as he injected their baby with heroin. Ryan dropped everything in his arms and jumped back from the boat and pressed his back against the wall and covered his head as the toy boat landed on the floor in front of him. His breathing quickened and his hands shook.

Horatio quickly ran over to Ryan and stuffed the boat back into the box. He looked at Ryan's wild eyes. He was sweating and shaking.

"It's alright Ryan." Horatio said to him, "Calleigh can you make a few calls for me and see if we can get a psychiatrist in here to analyze Ryan?"

"What for?" Ryan asked.

"Post traumatic stress disorder; if Jessica's right you're suffering from PSTD and we can use that to justify your actions this afternoon and avoid misconduct charges and still prosecute James."

Ryan tried to control his breathing. "What makes you think I have PSTD?"

"Well I didn't think of it, Jessica did, but I think she might be right. You reacted to a toy boat that resembles the same kind of boat Jessica was held prisoner on. What did you think when you saw the boat?"

Ryan stood there for a moment. "Nothing, I just saw the horrible things from that week, all the pain and suffering she went threw. It was like someone turned on a movie and I couldn't make it go away."  
>"And that's one symptom of PSTD. You reacted to something seemingly harmless but to you it had a deeper meaning. It caused you to relive the horrid things you witnessed. James undoubtedly is going to file for misconduct but Jessica thinks we can prove that you're suffering from PSTD and therefore you weren't thinking like yourself."<p>

Ryan started to calm down and understand what Horatio was saying. He looked down at the toys. He knelt to the ground and started picking them up and placing them in the box. Horatio couldn't help but chuckle at him.

"What's so funny?" Ryan asked.

"You, have a panic attack and then start cleaning." Horatio smiled, "Living with my daughter must be hell for you with how messy she can be."

Ryan smiled and looked at the stuffed dinosaur. "What are these?"

Horatio's eyes filled with sorrow and he sighed. "They're Izzy's favorite toys from when she was a kid. They're things I'm not ready to give up."  
>Ryan placed his hand on Horatio's shoulder and looked into his eyes. "You shouldn't have to give up any part of your daughter." Horatio placed his hand on top of Ryan's. "And you shouldn't have had to either. Let's see where Calleigh is with those phone calls. This isn't over yet, Ryan. We're going to get James one last time."<p>

* * *

><p>Dr. Green looked at Ryan as she jotted down more notes. They were in one of the integration rooms with the one way mirror. There was a camera recording their session. Ryan knew Horatio was standing on the other side of the glass watching them.<p>

"Now you say you're been having trouble sleeping. What happens when you try to sleep?"

Ryan looked at her nervously and realized he had started to bounce his leg, something that always annoyed Jessica. "I see him."  
>"Who?" Dr. Green asked.<p>

"James, he's laughing at me, he's hurting Jessica, he's raping her, and I can't stop him. I'm standing watching uselessly. She's crying my name but I can't do anything."

"Does anything else happen in these dreams?"

"He kills me. He pulls out a gun and shoots me because my gun is empty and I can't defend myself. Sometimes I am Jessica and he's hurting me and there's no one there to protect me. I'm alone with him and he's killing me. Then sometimes we're in front of the crime lab and Jessica's pushing me out of the car. I can see James standing there waiting for her and I try to stay with her but she pushes me right out of the car."

"Mr. Wolfe, would you mind looking at some of the crime scene pictures for me?" Dr. Green asked, "I just want to record your reaction to them."

Ryan took a deep breathe. "Can I have Horatio here with me?"

Dr. Green looked at him sympathetically. "I think that would be alright. Lieutenant Caine you can come in now."

A moment later Horatio was walking through the door. He sat in the chair next to Ryan's. Ryan looked at him and held his hand under the table. Horatio smiled at him reassuringly. "You'll be alright Ryan." he said to him. Ryan nodded his head and looked at Dr. Green.

"Are you ready Mr. Wolfe?" she asked him.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Ryan responded.

Dr. Green pulled out a large white envelope and began pulling out pictures. "We're going to start with something small." she said.

She placed a picture of Jessica's bullet filled Audi Q7 on the table. Ryan felt his stomach churn and he looked away briefly breathing heavily. "Oh god" he muttered.

"Are you ok Mr. Wolfe?" Dr. Green asked, "Do you want to continue or stop?"

"Let's keep going, I'll be alright." Ryan replied.

Dr. Green placed another picture on the table, this one of the inside of Jessica's car. There was glass everywhere and bullets scattered on the carpeting. Ryan could see the necklace and bracelet that Jessica managed to leave in the car before her attack. Her glock was lying between the driver and passenger seats. A staggered breathe escape Ryan's lips at the site of it.

"Mr. Wolfe?" Dr. Green asked.

"I'm fine, please show me more."

The next one was taken below the deck of the boat. There was blood everywhere and discarded needles littered the floor. There was a bat, a sledge hammer, bolt cutters, and other various tools about the room. Ryan lifted his hands and placed them on the picture. He shook all over as he pulled the picture closer. He didn't realize he had started crying until water spots began appearing on the page. He pushed the picture away and buried his face in his hands.

"I think that might be enough." Horatio said.

"No!" Ryan said loudly, "Please let me see more."

Dr. Green nodded and placed a picture of the boat on the table. The sight of that horrid place sent Ryan over the edge. He leapt from the table and knelt to the ground in front of the garbage can. He vomited violently into the small waste basket and cried. Horatio was at his side, rubbing his back, trying to soothe him.

"It's alright Ryan. It's all over." Horatio whispered to him.

"No it's not! I let him kill her!" Ryan cried, "I let her go and he took her! This is my fault! I don't deserve her!" Ryan began sobbing so hard his whole body was shaking. Horatio pulled him into his arms, cradling him like a child.

"That's what Izzy said about Brian." he whispered to Ryan, "She thought she killed him. She was so hard on herself for months and she felt like she deserved to be punished. None of this is your fault Ryan. You didn't make James take her. You didn't make him into the selfish person he is. You saved her, without you Jessica would have drowned. You deserve her more than anyone in the world." Horatio choked on his tears and buried his face into Ryan's hair. "Sometimes bad things happen and there's nothing we can do about it except move on with our lives. Please Ryan let's move on with our lives together. Let's help Jessica heal and move on together, because that's what family does."

Ryan pulled his head back and looked at Horatio with his tear stained face. "Family?"

Horatio smiled weakly at Ryan. "Yes Ryan, family."

Ryan wrapped his arms around Horatio's shoulders. "Thank you H."

Horatio returned the hug and held the young man close. "Anything for you Ryan."

"Mr. Wolfe, Lieutenant Caine?" Dr. Green said tentatively. They had forgotten she was in the room. "I think I have enough evidence to prove Mr. Wolfe is suffering from a substantial case of post traumatic stress disorder. I think Dr. Caine was right about his judgment being impaired during the time of Wilson's attack." She helped both men up to their feet. "And in case you're wondering I stopped recording shortly after Mr. Wolfe vomited."

"Where exactly?" Horatio asked.

"Mr. Wolfe had just said he didn't deserve to have Dr. Caine. I felt that the rest was too personal to present as evidence."  
>"That won't compromise anything, will it?" Horatio asked.<p>

"No, if I explain what happened that should be enough for a judge to conclude that Dr. Caine was correct about her diagnosis."

"Is there a chance you can leave out Jessica's hypothesis about Ryan's mental condition?" Horatio asked, "I'm afraid the wrong judge will conclude that it was a conflict of interest."

"Of course Lieutenant Caine. Should I just say that you requested me based on your own suspicions that Mr. Wolfe had PSTD?"

"Yes, that should be adequate." Horatio responded, "Thank you Dr. Green for coming in on such short notice. I'll contact you when a time has been set for the trial."

"You're welcome Lieutenant Caine. You know I'm always willing to help." She shook Horatio's hand and then looked at Ryan. "I'm sorry you have to endure this Mr. Wolfe, but it'll get better over time. I think having Dr. Caine home and out of the hospital will make some of the dreams stop. If you have any other problems please feel free to contact me." She hand Ryan a business card and he took it and thanked her.

Horatio led Ryan out of the interrogation room and to his office. He set Ryan on the couch and handed him a bottle of water. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit." Ryan responded, taking a drink of water. "I think that has to be one of the worst things I've ever had to do."

Horatio gave him a reassuring smile and patted his shoulder. "Did I ever tell you about the time Jessica tried to climb onto the roof of her house to watch a meteor shower?"

Ryan laughed. "Are you serious? How old was she then, four?"

Horatio chuckled. "No she was nine. She had heard on the news there was going to be a meteor shower and she begged Brian to let her watch it. He refused because he said it would be too late for her to stay up. I'll be damned if she didn't sneak out and climb onto the roof. Dumb shit slipped and fell, too. Luckily she had tied a rope around her waist and that kept her from falling to the ground. Unfortunately she was left hanging outside the kitchen window for god knows how long.

"I saw her hanging there when I went in to get a drink for Brian and me. I looked at her and laughed. I yelled for Brian to come into the kitchen. We stood there and laughed at her. Then we went outside and took pictures." Horatio walked over to his desk and picked up a picture. It was a younger version of Horatio smiling and giving a thumbs up while a tiny Jessica hung upside down outside a house from her waist. She had an angry scowl on her face and was giving a thumbs down, which looked like a thumbs up from the camera's perspective.

Ryan laughed and felt tears roll down his cheeks. "What in the world? What made her do these things? Climbing onto a roof, building snowmen in a blizzard, hacking into CODIS. Next you're going to tell me she tried to get her name on the presidential ballet when she was thirteen."

Horatio's mood darkened. "I'm afraid not. When she was thirteen she asked to be admitted into rehab for alcoholism. James changed her. I never got my little girl back after him."

Ryan held Horatio's hand. "We got her back this time though." Horatio smiled and embraced the younger man.

* * *

><p>Ryan and Horatio waited in the courtroom with Dr. Green and William Hudson. They were waiting for James and his attorney to arrive to discuss the misconduct charges brought up against Ryan for the attack at the hospital. Just as they thought James was filing a complaint that Ryan had acted on behalf of the Miami Dade Police Department. They were to appear before a Judge who would determine whether or not such actions had occurred. It was to be a bench trial, so there wasn't a jury. Horatio said this could work in their advantage because one Judge was easier to convince than a jury of twelve.<p>

James was led in by two Miami Dade County Jail guards. He was followed by a state appointed attorney that Horatio had seen many times before but couldn't remember his name. Moments later they were told to rise as Judge Greg Iddings walked in. Horatio couldn't help but smile at their luck.

Judge Iddings sat at his bench and briefly looked over the case file in front of him.

"Alright," he said, "Let's make this quick and easy. Mr. Wilson you are claiming that Officer Wolfe here assaulted you while you were in the hospital with the intent to kill you. Is that correct?"

"Yes" James said.

"Yes your honor" Judge Iddings corrected him. "Now I've reviewed the files provided by the hospital and it's evident that Wilson did sustain significant injuries that were believed to be inflicted by Officer Wolfe. From what I can tell Officer Wolfe was the only guest in the area at the time of the attack so I have reason to believe that Officer Wolfe is in fact the one that inflicted the injuries on Wilson."

James smirked at Ryan from across the aisle. Ryan glared angrily back at him and turned his head back forward.

"However," Judge Iddings continued, "I do not believe that Officer Wolfe truly intended to kill Wilson nor that he was acting on behalf of the MDPD. I have also reviewed the evidence provided by Dr. Green, which included a psychological evaluation of Officer Wolfe. According to this Officer Wolfe was suffering from a severe case of post traumatic stress disorder. According to Dr. Green Officer Wolfe was suffering from such an advance case of PSTD after watching his girlfriend and the mother of his child be kidnapped, tortured, drugged, and raped, along with receiving a picture message from Wilson of his unborn fetal daughter newly aborted, that he was unable to form a normal thought process and therefore was experiencing a diminished capacity, making it impossible for him to form malice afore thought.

"Based off of the evidence provided I have concluded that Officer Wolfe was not acting on behalf of the MDPD. Therefore the question of whether Officer Wolfe's actions were police misconduct I rule that Officer Wolfe was acting on his own. I'm not condoning his actions, I do believe he was out of line, but after what he had endured I don't think anyone could have been in the right state of mind. I can't even imagine if that had happened to my wife or daughter."

Judge Iddings sighed and rubbed his eyes. "This court finds in favor of the Miami Dade Police Department." He banged his gavel, signaling the ending of the court session. "Off the record, Mr. Wilson if I were you I would be worrying about more than just the fact you got the shit beat out of you by an angry father, because you have another angry father coming after you as soon as his daughter wakes up from that coma you put her in. And believe me this one will try to kill you. Rule number one." Judge Iddings winked at Horatio, who smiled in return.

A few minutes later Ryan and Horatio were climbing into Horatio's car. Ryan chuckled and looked at Horatio.

"What's so funny?" Horatio asked.

"Judge Iddings knows rule number one?" Ryan said.

Horatio chuckled and smiled. "Well he's the one that kind of came up with it. After a particularly difficult trial we were talking and he said to me 'Horatio, you need to post some rules in your lab. Rule number one- Never piss Horatio Caine off.' I told him that seemed like a good idea, but I didn't think human resources would allow it."

Ryan laughed and shook his head. The he started laughing uncontrollably. Tears ran down his cheeks and a stitch formed in his side. Horatio couldn't help but join in the laughter. They sat there together laughing for twenty minutes before they were able to regain enough composure to leave.

Horatio smiled and wiped tears out of his eyes as he drove. "Now what was that for?"

Ryan brushed away his own tears of joy. "I don't know. It's just been so long since I've laughed that I just kind of couldn't stop."

"Well I think we both needed that." Horatio said, "How about we go see our girl and how she's doing today?"

Ryan smiled. "Yeah I think I'd like that."

**That was another one that got a little weird in the middle, but oh well, I left it anyways.**


	16. Why did this have to happen?

Why did this have to happen?

Jessica slowly woke up as the sedatives started to wear off. Her vision was blurred and the lights seemed too bright. She looked around the room and saw someone sitting next to her bed. She recognized the red hair and smiled. "Hi Daddy," she said.

Horatio slipped his hand into his daughter's and smiled. "Hey Bug, how you feeling?"

"Tired," Jessica responded, "Can I have my glasses?"

"Well you were in surgery for two hours." Horatio responded, handing her the glasses off the table next to her bed. Horatio pushed the button and the bed began adjusting so Jessica was sitting up.

"Where's Alexx?" Blinking against the dizziness as she moved.

"Right here baby girl." Alexx said as she hustled into the room, "And I've got good news for you. Your shoulder is healing just fine and we were able to take out the pins and some of the plates. You still have two of the plates in but that's better than the six you had. Unfortunately you have to stay in the sling and immobilized for at least four more weeks. Then we can take out the rest of the plates and it's off to physical therapy for six to eight weeks."

Jessica sighed. "And that's the good news."  
>"Well the better news is you can go home tomorrow." Alexx said.<p>

Jessica's eyes lit up and she smiled. "You mean I get to leave this place!"

"Of course baby girl. You're healing up fine but I do need you to check back in every week though, just to make sure everything's ok still." Alexx explained, "You'll have a few prescriptions though. I'm giving you a painkiller and anti-inflammatory. No antibiotics right now though. Your body is doing just fine on its own." Alexx smiled at Jessica. "You're going to be just fine soon."

Jessica blinked back tears. "Maybe physically," she said.  
>Horatio squeezed her hand. "Night terrors Bug?"<p>

Jessica nodded. "I'm afraid I may have scared away a few of your night staff nurses. Waking up in the middle of the night screaming and they don't know what to do." Jessica brushed the tears from her eyes. "I wish Ryan was there, he always seemed to know how to wake me up." Jessica chuckled and a small smile graced her face. "Even if it always ended with me punching him in my sleep."

Horatio kissed her forehead. "Well soon enough you can have him all you want." He placed his hand on her cheek. "Everything's going to get better Bug, you'll see."

* * *

><p>Ryan put his car in park and turned it off. He looked at the hospital. After almost four weeks Jessica was finally cleared to go home. Horatio had asked him to come pick her up and allowed him the rest of the day off to get her settled in at home. Ryan sighed and climbed out of the car.<p>

It was a short ride up to the fifth floor. Alexx already had Jessica situated in a wheelchair. She was dressed in the clothes that Ryan had brought her the day before. She looked so small and frail. Her eyes darted around the room, as if she was making sure no one was hiding somewhere. Horatio was talking to Alexx quietly in the corner. He nodded at Ryan, acknowledging his presence.

Ryan slowly walked over to her and knelt down on one knee in front of her. He tried to hold her hand but Jessica flinched away. Instead he gently settled his hands on her knees.

"Hey," he said, looking up at her with a small smile on his face. "Are you ready to go home?"

Jessica bit at her thumb nail, something she only did when she was really nervous. She nodded her head and continued to chew on her finger.

Ryan smiled at her. "Ok then let's go." He stood and walked over to Horatio. "Hey H, how's she been today?"

Horatio sighed. "It's complicated. She's excited to leave but she's terrified of going outside."  
>"After what happened I'm surprised she's willing to leave at all." Ryan said gloomily.<p>

Alexx pushed Jessica's wheelchair along as Horatio and Ryan followed behind them. When they got to the lobby Alexx turned to Ryan. "You want to pull your car up baby?"

Ryan nodded his head. "Yeah I'll be right back."

"No," Jessica suddenly said, "I want to go home with Daddy."

"Are you sure Bug?" Horatio asked.

Jessica nodded her head. "Yes, I want to go home with you."

Ryan looked at her. He knew he couldn't hide the hurt he felt from her. "Alright, I'll wait with you then." He looked at Horatio, who started to protest. "It's alright Horatio, she can go with you if that's what she wants."

Horatio nodded and walked out of the building. Moments later a maroon Audi A6 pulled up and Horatio climbed out. "Here we go baby!" Alexx tried to say excitedly. She pushed Jessica out the door and stopped at Horatio's car. Jessica stood up and climbed into the passenger seat. Alexx pulled the wheelchair back. She looked at Ryan and gestured her head towards Jessica. Ryan got the hint and knelt in front of Jessica.

"Do you want me to come over to Horatio's later?" he asked her. Jessica hesitated but shook her head, biting at her thumb again. Ryan felt his heart pull and looked at her. "Alright then maybe later this week?" Jessica thought it over and nodded her head. "Ok, well I'll see you later then."

Ryan stood and looked at her one last time. He smiled at her and placed his hand on the door. Jessica flinched at the small movement and whimpered when she hit her elbow on the car seat. Ryan instantly stepped back and the smile faded. He managed to give her another weak one and met her eye. "I love you Jessie." Jessica blinked a few times and nodded her head. She could see how much Ryan was hurting. She didn't understand why she was so frightened of him. Jessica knew Ryan would never hurt her.

Ryan walked back to Alexx and looked at her. Alexx rubbed his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. "Everything will work out baby. She'll be back to normal in no time."

"I know." Ryan said as his voice cracked slightly. "It's just difficult to see her hurting so much."

"Ryan," Horatio said, "I'll call you later and tell you how she's doing."

"Ok, thanks H." Ryan replied.

"Ryan," Horatio grasped his arm and made him look at him. Horatio could see the pain in Ryan's eyes. "We're going to get through this. Jessie will be back to normal before you know it."  
>"Yeah, I'm sure." Ryan carefully pulled his arm free. "Do you want me to go back to the lab?"<p>

Horatio shook his head. "No, I gave you the rest of the day off. Go home, you need to relax."

Ryan nodded his head. "Alright, then I'll talk to you later Horatio." Without another word Ryan walked away from the hospital.

Ryan located his car and climbed in. He could see Horatio's car from where he sat. He watched the car pull away. Pain stabbed at Ryan's heart and the tears he had fought off finally began to fall. Ryan cried loudly and his body shook. He rested his head on the steering wheel and squeezed his eyes shut. "Why?" he whispered to himself, "Why did this have to happen?"

He didn't know how long he sat there. Eventually the tears stopped and he just felt empty. Ryan sat up and looked around. He could see Alexx still standing outside the hospital, watching his car. Ryan started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. As he drove away he saw Alexx in his rear view mirror finally walk back into the hospital.

* * *

><p>Horatio pulled into the garage of his house and cut the engine. He hopped out of his car and walked around to the passenger side. He helped Jessica out of the car and held her hand as they walked through the house. He led her to the guest bedroom. Jessica sat on the bed and looked at her father.<p>

"Do you need some pain killers?" Horatio asked her.

Jessica nodded her head. "My shoulder's killing me and it hurts to breath still. It hurts when I move my fingers." She flexed the fingers on her left hand. The splints had been removed two weeks ago and she was told to try and move them when she could to make sure the joints healed properly.

"Alright Bug, I'll be right back." Horatio left the room but returned shortly with a glass of water. He helped Jessica hold the glass and take one of the painkillers and an anti-inflammatory.

Almost immediately Jessica's eyelids began to droop. Horatio pulled off her shoes and snatched her glasses off her nose as she fell back onto the bed. He carefully lifted her and laid her with her head on the pillow. Horatio pulled the blanket up over her and watched his daughter be overcome by exhaustion. He turned to leave but Jessica reached out with her good hand.

"Please don't leave me." She said quietly, "I don't want to be alone."

Horatio smiled and crawled into the bed with his daughter. He held her close and felt her body melt into his.

"I hurt him Daddy." She whispered, "I hurt Ryan."

"No you didn't Bug, James hurt him."

"I wanted to go with him, but I was afraid."  
>"Jessica you did the right thing. If you were scared you shouldn't go. You'll feel better in a few days and soon enough you'll be begging for him to visit."<p>

"I hope so Daddy." Jessica began breathing lightly and Horatio felt her sleep in his arms.

"Me too Jessica, me too."

* * *

><p>Jessica woke up hours later. Her head felt heavy and shoulder was hurting again. She felt her skin crawl at the thought of taking more painkillers. She wanted to take more but knew with her drug usage past she shouldn't. The last thing she needed was to become addicted again.<p>

Then she realized she was alone in the bed and began to panic.

"Daddy!" she cried. Jessica bolted up in the bed and her eyes flew open. She cried out in pain as she twisted her body in ways her healing ribs didn't agree with. Tears formed in her eyes as she laid back down on the bed.

"It's ok Jessie." she heard someone say, "He went to make dinner." Jessica opened her eyes looked in the direction of the voice. A hand was held out to her and Jessica could just barely make out the shape of her glasses. She took them and placed them on the bridge of her nose.

"Kyle!" she exclaimed at the sight of her little brother sitting on the edge of the bed. Jessica sat up and jumped into the arms of the young man. They both fell backwards onto the bed. Kyle snaked his arms carefully around Jessica's waist and kissed her cheek.

"Missed me much?" he asked.

"Of course I did!" Jessica excitedly said as she sat up. She pulled her brother up with her good hand. "How have you been?"

"I'm doing good. I'd ask you the same but I think it's pretty obvious." Kyle smoothed down her messy hair. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for you Jessie. I wanted to come home sooner to see you but something came up and I wasn't able to leave for three weeks."

"It's ok Kyle, I understand. These things happen and there's nothing you can do about it." She smiled at him, their matching blue eyes locking for a moment.

"You know when Horatio told me I had a sister I didn't believe him at first." Kyle said, "He said you were adopted and I asked him how that made you my sister. He explained to me about how he helped raise you when you were growing up and how he was almost your father. He also told me about how your eyes changed color after the transplant. It took awhile but I finally accepted the fact that you were my sister. I realized that family isn't just about who you came from but rather what brought you together as a family."

Jessica smiled at her little brother. "Yeah it was a pretty big shock when Horatio called me and told me about how he just learned he had a son. I asked him how he couldn't have known and he called me a cheap shot." Jessica smiled and twined her fingers into her brother's. "I'm glad you're my brother, Kyle."

Horatio stood in the doorway watching his children. It warmed his heart to see Jessica was able to get so close to Kyle without panicking. He wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that he was her brother.

He walked into the room and smiled at the two on the bed. "Hey Jess, you hungry?"

Jessica didn't know. She still felt empty after everything. She felt better today than she had in the last few weeks but she still felt fearful. "Yeah, I guess food would be a good idea."

Horatio held out his hand and Jessica took it in her own. He pulled her from the bed and into his arms. "I love you Bug," he whispered. "I love you, too, Daddy," Jessica whispered back.

They walked down to the kitchen and Jessica smiled at the site that met her. Horatio had made grilled cheese and tomato soup.

"I thought you said you hated grilled cheese." Jessica said.

"No, I don't hate it. I just have a distaste for it." Horatio said.

Jessica nudged him playfully. "Sure old man."

They sat at the table and ate their dinner finally together as a family. Kyle did most of the talking, telling stories of his training and what he had been doing overseas. Jessica was mostly silent. She picked at her food, not really wanting anything.

"Jess?" Kyle said. Jessica was snapped back to reality. "Sorry, what?"

Kyle looked at her, his eyes full of worry. "I asked if it was true that Dad printed a fake marriage certificate for you and Ryan just so you would be able to get into the prison to see him."

Jessica blinked a few times. She was confused at how the conversation had changed topic so quickly. "Um, yeah he did."

"So what was it like being Dr. Wolfe for the week?" Kyle tried to ask light heartedly.

Jessica could feel anxiety growing inside her. "Ugh, well, I guess it was ok. I don't really know. I mean it was fake so it's not like I really was Dr. Wolfe." Tears blurred her vision and poured down her cheeks. Horatio pulled his chair closer to his daughter and wrapped his arms around her.

"What is it Jess?" he asked her.

Jessica continued to sob in his arms. "I just don't understand why I'm so scared of him Daddy." Jessica choked out, "Ryan didn't do anything to me and I'm terrified of just the thought of being in the same room as him. What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing's wrong with you. You're hurt and you don't know who you can trust."  
>"Then why can I be around you and Kyle?"<p>

"Because we're your family," Kyle said, moving his chair closer, "You know Dad and I would never hurt you."

Jessica pushed away from Kyle and leapt from her chair. "You think Ryan would hurt me?" she screamed, "Ryan loves me and I know he would never lay a finger on me!"

"Jessica that's not what I meant." Kyle said, advancing towards her.

"No!" Jessica screamed again, "No, you get away from me! How do I know I can trust you!"  
>"Jessica, please stop. Listen to me." Kyle pleaded as he continued forward.<p>

"Nooo!" Jessica grabbed the first thing within her reach and threw it at Kyle. The plate flew threw the air and hit him hard in the stomach. It fell to the ground and scattered.

Horatio leapt from his chair and tried to grab Jessica before she could do anymore damage.

"Jessie, listen to me!" Horatio ordered. He pulled her against his chest and wrapped his arms protectively around her.

"Nooo!" Jessica cried as she started to thrash in his arms. "Don't touch me you bastard!"

Horatio kept his hold on her. He felt Jessica's fist pound against his chest and her tears drip onto his shirt. Then she started hitting him less forcefully. Her body shook as her sobs became heavier. Soon she stopped moving and sunk to the ground. Horatio knelt down with her. As they sat on the kitchen floor as Jessica's cries became more subdued.

"What's wrong with me?" she whispered, "Who have I become?"

Horatio kissed the top of her head and felt the tears he had been fighting back finally fall. He held his daughter in his arms and cried. "You haven't become anyone Jessie." he said, his voice cracking with his sorrow. "You're still my little girl, you're just hurt, and I can't make it better. I'm sorry Jessica, I never meant to fail you as a parent again."

There were so many things Jessica wanted to say to Horatio but she couldn't find her voice. They sat there and cried. Neither of them noticed Kyle leave. They didn't hear the door to his bedroom slam or the lock click shut. They sat there until Jessica finally cried herself to sleep. Horatio lifted her and carried her back to her bedroom. He laid her on the bed.

Horatio knelt to the floor. He held his daughter's hand and laid his forehead on the bed.

"I'm sorry Jessica," he cried into the mattress, "I never wanted this to happen. I hurt our little girl. You trusted me with her and I let this happen to her. I'm sorry I've been such a terrible parent. Please, just help me make her stop hurting again. I don't know what to do anymore."


	17. Undesired

Undesired

Horatio held Jessica's hand as they rode the elevator up to the fourth floor. The cart came to a halt and the doors opened to reveal the crime lab. Horatio pulled Jessica along, she almost seemed to be hiding behind him. Several members of the team and other staff emerged from their labs and offices. They looked down the hall as they waited to see what would happen.

Calleigh and Jesse walked together towards the front desk. They were supposed to be interviewing Jessica about what happened on the boat. Calleigh couldn't help but let an "Oh god" escape her lips at the sight of Jessica. She was so thin and pale. Her body was pressed against Horatio's as he talked to Mel at the front desk. Calleigh could see she was shaking all over and her grip on Horatio's hand was bone crushing.

"This isn't going to be easy for her." Jesse said.

"I don't think it's going to be easy for us either." Calleigh commented.

Horatio turned to see Calleigh and Jesse walking towards them. Calleigh stopped Jesse and said something to him. Calleigh walked forward while Jesse remained where he was.

"Hey Horatio," Calleigh said as she tried to offer a comforting smile. "How are you Jess?"

Jessica crept farther behind Horatio's back, trying to shield herself. She quickly shrugged her shoulders and darted her eyes away.

"Is she going to be able to talk to us with Jesse around?" Calleigh whispered to Horatio.

"I don't know Calleigh." Horatio said, "She doesn't even talk to me half the time. She's been home for three days now and I hardly get the time of day. She's terrified of everyone."

Calleigh looked at Horatio. He had dark circles under his eyes and he seemed frazzled. "I'm sorry this happened and you have to go through this." she said.

Jesse watched Calleigh talk to Horatio. Jessica was hiding behind his back like a small child. Her eyes darted around the room. For a moment she locked eyes with Jesse. He smiled at her and she scurried behind Horatio.

Then Jessica poked her head out and looked at Jesse again. Then she hid again. Then she was looking at him again. Jesse took a small step forward and watched Jessica hide behind Horatio. When her head crept out again Jesse slowly walked towards her. Jessica didn't hide this time. She watched him advance towards her. She still looked frightened, but Jesse could see how determined she was not to move.

Jesse was about ten feet from her now. He stopped and knelt down on one knee. He held his hand out and looked at her. Jessica hesitated but then stepped out from behind her father.

Horatio felt his daughter move behind him and noticed for the first time that Jesse Cardoza was kneeling on the ground. He hadn't noticed Jesse move and wondered what was going on.

Jessica slowly walked towards Jesse. She tried to keep her breathing even and steady. She could feel her body shaking harder as she got closer to him. Jesse never moved, he just knelt there on his knee with his hand out. When Jessica was close enough she held out her hand. Jesse watched as she carefully slipped her hand into his. He slowly closed his hand and held hers gently.

Jesse smiled at her and Jessica walked closer. Then Jessica was standing right before him. Jesse carefully wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. Jessica released her hand and wrapped her arm around Jesse's shoulders. Jesse wrapped both his arms around her body. He stood and embraced Jessica gently. He could feel her tears against his neck and her body shaking as she cried.

"Hi Jessie," he whispered. He felt her grip tightened and more tears flow down her cheeks.

"Hi Jesse," she whispered back.

"I've missed you."

She nodded her head. "I know."

"There's been a serious lack of Jesse power around here without you." He joked with her.

A single laugh graced his ear. "Has there really?"

"Everything's going to be alright, Jessie, I promise. We just need to ask you some questions. Is it alright if we do that?"

Jessica hesitated but nodded her head. "Can Horatio be there with me?"

"Of course, do you want Ryan, too?"

Jessica shook her head quickly. "I don't want him to hear what happened. I've hurt him enough."  
>"You haven't hurt anyone. You never would be able to either." Jesse smiled and nuzzled his head gently against her hair. "You want to know a secret?"<p>

Jessica nodded her head.

"You're the strongest person I know. I mean you fought off seven grown men, you sent six of them to the hospital with life threatening injuries, shot two dead center with a kill shot, no three, and you beat Walter at arm wrestling."

A small chuckle escaped Jessica's lips. "Thanks Jesse."  
>"You want to know another secret?"<br>A small smile graced Jessica's face. "What?"

Jesse smirked and rested his chin on her head. "I have a penis."

Jessica chuckled softly. "I guess you do." Jessica tightened her grip. "And I'm not afraid of it."

* * *

><p>Horatio and Jessica sat together in the interview room. Across the table were Calleigh and Jesse. There was a camera in the corner where Frank stood.<p>

Horatio was still shocked that Jessica had actually been able to hug Jesse without being frightened. "What did you do?" he had asked him. Jesse shrugged his shoulders. "I just waited for her to come to me. I knew she would when she was ready."

Jessica had already retold how she had noticed the Crip Kings' car and knew she was about to be abducted. She was explaining about how she tried to get Ryan out of the car when she shed her first tears. Her hand shook where it rested on the table.

"I'm sorry" she said as she dried her eyes.

"You have nothing to be sorry about Jessie." Calleigh said.

"When you're ready we'll listen." Jesse added.

Jessica gave him a weak smile. She appreciated that Jesse was taking the time to make her feel safe. He wanted her to tell the story on her time, not the department's.

"I pulled out my gun." she continued, "I knew they would shoot and I wanted to be ready." She paused, her thoughts drifting somewhere else. "I was going to shoot him. He was refusing to listen to me so I was going to shoot him. I was going to shoot him and push him out the door."

"Who Jess?" Jesse asked.

She looked at him. Her eyes were filled with pain and new tears formed.

"Ryan," she said, "I was going to shoot Ryan in the leg."

* * *

><p>Jessica was shaking and crying as she tried to tell them what happened. She was reliving her worst nightmare again.<p>

"He punched me and shoved me to the ground. He stomped on my stomach. He said he was going to fix the problem for me." Jessica paused as she momentarily choked on her tears. "He said I should have taught Ryan better. He asked me how big he was. He said he probably had a tiny dick and he probably wasn't even the father. He asked me if it was Horatio's baby. When I refused to answer him he kicked me in the ribs, left side, I think I even heard them crack.

"He had a few of his guys hold me down. He pulled out a metal rod, there was a hook at the end. I knew what he was going to do, but I couldn't do anything." Jessica buried her face in her hand.

"It's ok," Jesse said, "You don't have to say anymore."

"No," Jessica responded, lifting her head, "I want them to know what he did to my daughter! The pain that he physically and emotionally caused me. And what he did to Ryan." Jessica took a shaky breathe. Jesse knew she was talking about the jury that would eventually be viewing the tape. "Whenever you're ready" Jesse said.

"He shoved his hands inside me." Jessica said, "It hurt so bad and I started bleeding. Then he worked the hook in and I screamed for him to stop, but he wouldn't. I felt the hook scrape inside me. God, it hurt so bad! I started hoping he would give up and leave me alone, but I knew that wouldn't happen. Then he pulled the hook out and I felt something pull inside me.

"He stood there and held it up for everyone to see. My daughter was hanging on the end of that hook. She was dead. He had killed her. He had done it again. He did it to Izzy and he did it to me.

"He took pictures using my phone. He posed with my dead daughter! Then he had the nerve to send one to Ryan. He laughed and said 'I hope that teaches him to never touch my girl again!' Then he threw my daughter onto my stomach and I had to sit there and look at her lifeless face. She looked so perfect and beautiful. One of the guys brought in a box and they put her in it. He told one of them when we got to the shore to take it to Horatio.

"Then they left me alone and I cried. I cried because of the pain. I cried because of the horror I knew Ryan would feel seeing that picture. I cried for the loss of my daughter.

"Tommy came downstairs and he gave me Advil and some water. He didn't say anything, I think he knew I didn't want to talk. Then he left me when they called his name." Jessica stopped and looked at Jesse. "I think I passed out after that, I don't remember anything else."

Jesse gave her a comforting smile. "It's ok, you don't have to say anything else. I have one question though. Who did this to you? Who killed your daughter and tormented you with her?"

Jessica took a deep breathe and Jesse watched her eyes darken and anger overtake her.

"James Wilson."

* * *

><p>"I was alone so often. I didn't understand why they kept leaving me alone. I was their prisoner and they left me alone." Jessica's face darkened, "I took my shoes and tried to make them into a shank. I scraped the heel along a couple of rocks I found. I didn't know if they would be sharp enough to hurt him, but that's what I wanted them to do. I wanted to hurt him like he hurt me. He beat me, raped me, and killed my daughter. I wanted him dead. I wanted James to feel the pain I felt when he touched me. I wanted him to know what it felt like to be hurt the way I was."<p>

"What happened when the MDPD found you?" Jesse asked, "Can you explain what happened?"

Jessica looked at him with an intense anger Jesse could never imagine she was capable of.

"I got my revenge. I don't know what happened exactly but I remember feeling so victorious. He walked away from me and I took off my shoes. I stabbed him in the shoulder with the left one and then in the stomach with the right. I tried to kill all of his men, too. I couldn't hurt Tommy though, but I couldn't let him forget what he did, the choices he had made. It was like I was in a haze, a dream. It was like I was someone else. I was watching, there was no way I could control myself or stop."

"Jessica are you aware of the fact that at that point you had a fever of 104.7?" Calleigh asked her.

Jessica shook her head. "I didn't have the slightest clue."  
>"We think that might be why you snapped." Calleigh explained, "Did you feel threatened at that moment?"<p>

Jessica nodded her head. "Yes I did. I was afraid that he was going to kill. No, I knew he was going to kill me if I didn't do something." Tears formed in Jessica's eyes. "I can't believe I did that though. It's not like me."

Calleigh reached across the table and held Jessica's hand. "It's ok, you weren't in the right state of mind and you were scared. It was self defense."

* * *

><p>Three grueling hours later Jessica had finally relived the worst three days of her life. She felt empty again and her eyes burned. They walked out of the interrogation room. Horatio had his arm around Jessica and she was pressed closed to him. Jesse and Calleigh followed them to the front desk.<p>

"Thank you Horatio for bringing her in." Calleigh said, "I know it was hard but she was has helped us so much." Calleigh looked at Jessica. "You were so brave Jessica, I'm sorry you had to go threw all of that again."

Jessica looked at her with her large blue eyes full of sadness. "It's alright, I know it will help."

Jesse stepped forward and lifted his hand. He held it out for Jessica and she looked at it before she gently placed her hand in his. She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arm around him. Jesse encased her in his arms and held her.

"You're so strong, I admire you so much for that." he whispered to her.

"Thank you Jesse, you've helped me so much and have been so kind to me."

Ryan walked down the hall. He stopped and couldn't believe what he was seeing. Jesse was standing there hugging Jessica. His heart pounded, he wanted to hold her so bad. He hadn't seen her since the day she was released from the hospital. He walked towards the small group and tried to seem happy to see Jessica.

"Hey Horatio, how's it going?" he asked.

Horatio smiled at Ryan and started to say something in response, but he was interrupted by Jessica's frightened yelp. She had spun out of Jesse's arms and hid behind him. Jesse could feel her entire body shaking and heard her whimper.

"It's ok Jessica." Jesse said, turning around and wrapping his arms around her. "You're ok, there's nothing to worry about. Ryan just wants to see you. Is that ok?"

Jessica didn't speak. She shook her head against Jesse's chest.

Horatio sighed and led Ryan away.

"I'm sorry Ryan," he said, "I don't know what happened. I thought she was doing better since she allowed Jesse to touch her. Why don't you come over this weekend? The trial begins Monday and I bet Jessica would love to see you before it begins. Talk to Jesse, he might be able to tell you what he did to get her to trust him. I know she wants you back, but she's terrified and she doesn't know why. Please come see her this weekend. She needs you Ryan."

Ryan felt sorrow fill his heart. "Alright H, I understand, I guess."

"I'm telling you Ryan, this was a huge leap for her. She's getting better, I know she is. I'm sorry this is so difficult." Horatio's voice cracked and he rubbed his eyes. Ryan didn't miss the tears that had formed. "I'm sorry, I don't even know what to do anymore. She's hurting so much and I don't know how to fix it."

Ryan placed his hand on Horatio's shoulder reassuringly. "It's ok H, you're doing the best you can and that's all you can do." He lowered his hand and took a step back. "I'm going to head back to work now. Tell Jessica I said feel better." He turned and walked away.

Ryan managed to keep his composer until he made it to the locker room. He walked over to Jessica's locker and placed his hand on it. He started crying and leaned his head against the cool metal. Ryan cried for all the things in his life that he had lost; his parents, his daughter, and now his girlfriend.

* * *

><p>Two more days. Jessica had to wait just two more days and she would be able to tell the world what he had done. The next day the trials would start for the five Crip Kings and Tommy. Then James's trial would start. Then the world would know what had happened to her.<p>

She placed her hand on her abdomen. It was flat and empty. There was no life in it. Jessica's and Ryan's efforts were gone. She was gone and Jessica was alone again.

She was lying on her stomach on the couch of her father's house. Horatio was never one for excess. He had bought his three bedroom beach house because he said it was modest. There were three bedrooms, two bathrooms, an office, dine in kitchen with a breakfast bar, a large living room, two car garage, and a beautiful screened in porch that one could watch the sunset over the ocean. He had his own small strip of beach that connected to the backyard and a dock where his jet skiis lived. Jessica had laughed at him when he called it modest. "It's a bit bigger than 'modest' Dad." Jessica had said. "Well excuse me Jess but not everyone owns their own beach."

Jessica smiled at the memory as she drew non-sequential patterns in the carpeting. A movie was playing on TV but she wasn't paying attention. It was one of those made for TV movies with actors that no one ever knew or saw other than TV movies. She couldn't even remember what it was called. It was something about a daughter who had been given up for adoption and the mother had been told that the baby had died, only to learn seventeen years later that her daughter was alive. Now the mother had made it her mission to find her long lost daughter and try to rekindle a relationship with her.

"Fucking bullshit" Jessica muttered as she turned the TV off.

"What's bullshit?" Horatio asked as he entered the room. He pulled his daughter up and sat on the couch. Jessica laid her head in his lap and he started running his fingers through her hair. Jessica closed her eyes and Horatio smiled. His daughter had always loved the feeling of someone playing with her hair.

"The woman trying to find her daughter to try and develop a relationship with her. The daughter has no interest. She has a new life and new parents and wants nothing to do with her biological mother. I think its bullshit the daughter didn't want anything to do with her."  
>"Why's that?"<p>

"Because she gave birth to her and she took the time to try and find her. The least the daughter could do is have dinner or something with her. I mean it's not like she's trying to take her home and make her change who she is. I mean she should be happy that she at least has a mother, two in fact."

Horatio sighed and looked into her eyes. "You would have love Marisol Bug. I'm sorry you never had the chance to meet her."

"I talked to her on the phone a few times and I got the graduation present you guys sent me. She sounded like a wonderful person." Jessica smiled. "I was so excited when you told me you were getting married. I was going to have a mother again. I'm sorry she died Daddy."  
>"Well her time was almost up. She was just taken away from me too soon though." Horatio's eyes misted over. Jessica reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. "Just like Izzy."<p>

Horatio encased her hand within his. "And my granddaughter."

Jessica lowered her hand. Horatio could see small tears forming in her eyes.

"Whose name is on my birth certificate?" Jessica asked.

"Yours of course Bug." Horatio replied.

"No I mean who's my mother? Did you write in a name like Sue's or did you just leave it blank?"

Horatio looked at his beautiful daughter. "Dr. Jessica Renee Stone-Johnson" he said.

The tears slowly rolled down Jessica's cheeks. "Just like it should have been."

Horatio shook his head. "No Bug, Brian and Jessabelle were supposed to be your parents."

"What if you had been my father?"

Horatio thought it over. "Well I don't know."  
>"Do you think I would have still met James?"<p>

"I'm sorry to say but yes I think you would have."  
>"Would we still be here?"<br>"I don't know Bug. We might be. I left Chicago to get away from the memories after you went to Michigan."  
>"Do you think I would have met Ryan?"<p>

Horatio smiled and placed his hand on Jessica's cheek. "Now that is the reason I'm glad things worked out the way they did."

Jessica smiled and leaned into Horatio's hand. "I miss him Daddy."

"I know Bug, but everything is going to work out."

The doorbell rang and Horatio stood up and walked to the door. Jessica couldn't see who it was down the hall. She just laid on the couch and waited for Horatio to come back.

"Jessie," Horatio said, "You have a visitor."

Jessica turned and looked over the back of the couch. She could see Horatio standing with Ryan in the doorway to the living room. Jessica flinched and ducked below the couch. She crouched there for a moment. Then she looked over the couch again but this time tried not to hide. Ryan smiled at her but stayed where he was. "Hey Jess" he quietly said. Jessica looked at him and blinked. She titled her head to one side and just stared at him.

"Why don't you have a seat Ryan?" Horatio said, "I'll get us some drinks. Would you like anything? I have soda, water, ice tea."  
>"Ice tea would be nice if you wouldn't mind, H."<br>"Would you like some Jess?"

Jessica's eyes darted around the room and then she quickly nodded her head.

"Alright, I'll be right back." Horatio walked to the kitchen. They heard the fridge door open and the cupboards open and close.

Ryan stood there for a moment. He had his hands in the pockets of his jeans and his shoulders were hunched forward. Jessica knew this was the stance that he took when he was nervous or scared. She didn't understand why he would be scared though.

Ryan carefully took a few steps forward. He watched Jessica to see her reaction. At first she ducked below the couch again but then her head quickly popped back up. She looked at him with her big blue eyes. Ryan slowly walked over to an armchair that was adjacent to the couch and sat down. He looked at Jessica and then darted his eyes away. Jessica looked longingly at him, but when Ryan met her gaze again she looked away.

A small laugh escaped Jessica's lips and Ryan looked at her. "What's so funny?"

"Us, we're sitting here acting like a couple of middle schoolers who are trying to check each other out without the other finding out. We can't look at the other while the other is looking at us. It just struck me as funny."  
>Ryan smiled and chuckled lightly. "We're looking at each other right now."<p>

"Yeah, I guess we are."  
>"Does that mean you want to go to the homecoming dance with me?" Ryan asked.<p>

Jessica smiled and laughed again. "I don't know if my father will let me. He said no boys until I was in high school." Ryan laughed at her joke and looked at her.

Horatio walked in carrying three glasses of ice tea. He handed one to Ryan and then sat next to Jessica on the couch. He handed a glass to Jessica who accepted it with a quiet "Thank you Daddy." Ryan chuckled and smiled at her and took a drink.

"Now what's so funny?" Jessica asked.

"Always so polite," Ryan said, "Please and thank you no matter what."

Jessica smiled and rolled her eyes at him. "Well my Daddy raised me to always be polite and respect my elders."

"Now I know that doesn't mean you're calling me old." Horatio said.

"Of course not Daddy" Jessica said, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"So Ryan," Horatio said, "How have you been? I haven't seen much of you since I've been home with Jessica. What have you been up to since you haven't had my daughter's legs wrapped around you continuously?"

Ryan felt his ears turn red and noticed a slight blush form on Jessica's cheeks. She smacked his arm and looked at him appalled. "Daddy, can you not have a conversation with poor Ryan that isn't about our sex life?"

Horatio chuckled. "Now I didn't say you were having sex. You did tell me about how you two wrestle. Maybe I was referring to that."  
>"Oh please you dirty old man, we both know that's what you were talking about. Why don't you go find me a new mom and make me another brother since you're so horny all the time?"<p>

Ryan started laughing uncontrollably. He set his glass on the coffee table and rested his head in his hands as he continued to laugh. He sat up and looked at Jessica and Horatio. He had tears running down his cheeks and he shook his head as he brushed the tears away.

"Now what are you laughing about?" Jessica asked.

"You two!" Ryan exclaimed, "My god I've never seen such a weird father-daughter combination! Always talking so openly about everything, not caring who's in the room. Bickering and insulting each other back and forth. Geez, I don't know what I've gotten myself into. Too late to back out now though."

Jessica smiled and looked longingly at Ryan. "I've missed you Ryan. I'm really glad you came to see me."

"I needed to. There's been this part of me that's been missing and I didn't know what to do without you." Ryan said. His eyes darted to her hand. He could see that Jessica was wearing the ring he gave her.

Jessica smiled and lifted her hand. "I haven't taken it off since you put it back on me at the hospital."  
>"Did you really swallow it?" Ryan asked.<p>

Jessica nodded. "I forgot to take it off in the car. I left the bracelet and necklace but since I never take it off anymore I forgot. I didn't want them to take my jewelry because it was something special to me. I couldn't let James have it. I swallowed the ring because I knew he would take it. It hurt so bad. I knew it was stuck. It hurt to breath and I could barely eat what little food Tommy was able to sneak me. I wasn't going to let him have it though. I couldn't let him take our love."

Ryan smiled and felt his eyes water. "I love you Jessica. I'm glad you're home."

Ryan stood up and took a small step towards the couch. Jessica leaned further into Horatio's side but her eyes never left Ryan's face. Ryan smiled at her and held out his hand. Jessica looked at it for a moment and then reached out to him. She placed her hand in his and looked into his eyes. Ryan gently closed his fingers around her hand. He felt the ring on her finger and brushed his thumb over it lightly. He released her hand and smiled at her again. Jessica pulled her hand back to her body and returned the smile.

"I have to go now." Ryan said, "I'm having dinner with my sister tonight."

"Ok, tell Rachael I said hi." Jessica said.

"Alright, she's been asking about you. She and Roger were so worried when you were in the hospital. They came with me to visit you one time when you were in the coma."  
>"I know, I heard them. She said we had to shopping when I was released because she loved the shirt you were wearing that day. It was the one I bought you when we were in the Keys" Jessica smiled, "She said she had never seen her big brother look so dashing. She was glad someone finally was there to pick out his clothes so he would stop wearing ties and shirts that were the same color."<br>"Hey they're different patterns!" Ryan jokingly protested, "God, I'm thirty-two doesn't she know I can take care of myself!"

Jessica smiled and batted at him with her feet. "Well dufus maybe you just need to prove that."

Ryan smiled down at her. He slowly held out his hand and leaned towards her. He gently placed his hand on her cheek and looked into her eyes. Jessica reached up and placed her hand on top of Ryan's. He leaned down and gently brushed his lips against her forehead. He brought his head back up and looked into her eyes. "I love you Jessie."

Jessica smiled back at him. The words lingered in her mouth but her throat was too dry. She just looked into his eyes and hoped he understood.

"I'll see you Tuesday love." Ryan said. He turned to Horatio. "It was good seeing you Horatio."

"Like wise Mr. Wolfe. Come, I'll show you to the door." Horatio said, standing from the couch.

They walked down the hall, but Horatio stopped Ryan before he left.

"Didn't I tell you she just needed time?" Horatio asked Ryan, smiling.

Ryan couldn't help but return the smile. "Yeah, I took your advice and talked to Jesse. He said as demeaning as it sounds just act like she's a frightened animal. She's been hurt and doesn't understand or know who she can trust, even if it doesn't make sense." Ryan sighed. "I wanted to hold her so bad but I didn't want to push my luck. Kyle told me about what happened Tuesday when you guys were eating dinner. I didn't want something like that happening again. I didn't think you guys could go through that again."

Horatio smiled. "Thank you Ryan, I really appreciate it. I think slow is what she really needs." Horatio picked up a file that was sitting on the table by the door. "I've been meaning to give this to you since Jessica was kidnapped. I asked her if it was ok if I gave it to you. She said she doesn't want anymore secrets." He held the file out for Ryan. He took it and looked at the name printed on the tab. 'Elizabeth Renee Johnson/Caine DOB: 5/16/1982, DOD: 3/27/1996'

"Thank you Horatio" Ryan whispered.

"Now don't keep Rachael waiting." Horatio said with a smile.

"Take care Horatio." Ryan shook his hand but Horatio pulled him in for a hug. "It's working Ryan, we're getting our girl back."

* * *

><p>Horatio opened the door and was blinded by the light of several cameras. There were microphones shoved towards his face and a dozen reporters asking him questions.<p>

"Lieutenant Caine is it true that your daughter Elizabeth isn't dead?"

"Lieutenant has Elizabeth Johnson really been hiding, using the name of her dead mother?"

"Lieutenant is it true that you aided in her escape from the Illinois State Prison?"

"Officer Wolfe what did you think when you learned the mother of your child was a member of the Crip Kings?"

"Lieutenant Caine why are you pressing charges against a death row inmate?"

Horatio blinked and held up his hand. The questions immediately stopped. All eyes were on Horatio, waiting to hear what he would say next.

"What are you doing on my property?" he asked in a calm voice that didn't match his mood. "I don't know why you're all here asking me questions about my daughter and her personal life but I would appreciate it you would all leave now." Horatio grabbed Ryan's arm and pulled him through the crowd towards his car.

"Officer Wolfe why did you choose to date Elizabeth Johnson?"

"Officer Wolfe how does it feel to know you were dating one of the leaders of one of the most notorious gangs?"

"Officer Wolfe when did you learn your girlfriend was really Elizabeth Johnson?"

"Officer Wolfe how will this affect our relationship with Elizabeth Johnson?"

Ryan couldn't take it anymore. He turned and faced the reporters that had begun to follow him.

"What's it to you? What's it matter to you that my girlfriend's past? Besides I'm not dating Elizabeth Johnson, and I've never met her for that matter. Jessica Stone-Caine is my girlfriend and not that it's any of your business I love her very much despite her past. Now if you wouldn't mind I'm going home now. Leave my girlfriend and her father alone!"

Ryan turned and walked the rest of the way to his car. He thanked Horatio and climbed in and drove away. Horatio looked at the reporters that were still gathered on his lawn.

"You heard me! Get off my property before I call the cops!" he yelled at them.

Horatio slipped back into his house. He found Jessica still sitting on the couch now watching the news. Horatio felt his stomach hit his feet when he saw a picture of Izzy on the screen.

"Notorious Crip King gang member Elizabeth Johnson was discovered to be alive today and living in Miami after being declared dead fourteen years ago in a prison fight." the female news anchor said, "She was kidnapped a month ago by former boyfriend James Wilson after he escaped from the Illinois State Prison, where he was waiting out his death sentence for the murder of Lieutenant Brian Johnson fourteen years ago. Johnson has been living under the name Jessica Stone-Caine and was working at the Miami Dade Crime Lab as a Forensic Specialist intern. For more on this story tune in tonight at seven."

Jessica's eyes were huge with horror as she watched the screen change and the news anchor begin to report on another story. Horatio sat down on the couch next to her and pulled Jessica into his arms.

"Those were reporters you were yelling at, weren't they?" she quietly asked him.

"Yes Jessie" Horatio answered.

"Why were they here?"

"Because like everyone else in the world they were curious about you."  
>Tears blurred Jessica's vision. "How did they know?"<p>

"I don't know Jessie."

"Ryan was right," Jessica said, "I'm not Elizabeth Johnson…..and I never have been."

Horatio pulled his daughter back and looked at her. "What are you talking about Jessie Bug?"

A tear slid down Jessica's cheek. Horatio reached up and brushed it off with his thumb.

"What's wrong Bug?" he asked.

"Brian and Jessica aren't my family anymore." she quietly said, "They're dead. You and Kyle are my family now."

"Jessie, just because someone dies doesn't mean they're not your family anymore. They're still tied to you by blood whether they're here or not."

"But they aren't my parents. They're Izzy's parents." Jessica turned her head and looked at Horatio, "You're my father and Kyle's my brother. I don't have a mother but I have a wonderful aunt, a great cousin, and my uncle is dead. I used to have a step-mother but someone took her away before it was her time. I have another uncle but he's only related by marriage, but he's still my family."

Jessica rested her head on Horatio's chest. "Izzy's dead, too." she finally said, "She died in a prison fight with her cell mate. Her cell mate killed her and then she was transferred to a different maximum security prison where she killed herself."

Horatio squeezed Jessica's hand. "Jessie…."

Jessica looked at him with the same ocean blue eyes as his.

"My name is Dr. Jessica Elizabeth Stone-Caine. I went to high school in Illinois, got my bachelor's in Michigan, attended the Michigan police academy, and went to grad school in Pennsylvania and Florida." Jessica choked back the tears that threatened to fall. "I've never met Elizabeth Johnson or Lieutenant and Doctor Johnson…..and my eyes have always been blue."

Horatio sat there in silence, listening to his daughter. It was difficult for him to listen to her finally acknowledge who she had become almost fourteens ago.

"Oh Jessie," Horatio said, he embraced his daughter, "I love you. I know this is hard but-"

"But it's something I should have come to terms with a long time ago."

**How Jessica didn't know her mother's name was on her birth certificate is beyond me. I just write it. lol**


	18. Fight for Justice

Fight for Justice

The Hummer pulled up to the courthouse. Just as Horatio had thought there were dozens of reported, TV cameras, and news anchors. Frank sat behind the wheel with Horatio in the front seat. Jessica was flanked on either side by Jesse and Eric. Both were dressed in full Miami Dade patrol uniforms. Horatio had assigned them to be Jessica's body guards to help fight off the reporters and to protect her from any possible gang attacks.

"I don't trust just anyone with my little girl." Horatio had said to them when he asked them.

"Of course Horatio," Jesse said, "We're a family here and we protect one another, no matter what the circumstances."

Jessica looked at Jesse and smiled. She brushed something off his shoulder and he looked at her.

"Am I not pretty enough for you Dr. Stone-Caine?" he asked with a smile.

"No, you're pretty enough." She returned the smile and looked at him. "I wish Horatio had told me I was going to have two dashing men protect me today."

Jesse smiled at Jessica and gently brushed a few strands of hair out of her face. "Well it would have been nice to have been told that the young woman were protecting was so beautiful."  
>"Careful man," Eric said, "That's my niece you're flirting with."<p>

Jesse scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Who said I was flirting?"

"Oh please it was clear as day!" Eric teased.

"Eric, Jesse," Horatio said, "Are you ready?"

Eric took a deep breathe. "We're ready H."

"Alright, then let's face the sharks." Horatio said.

Frank and Horatio exited the Hummer first. Frank came around to the passenger side and opened the door. Eric climbed out first. He helped Jessica down and handed her off to Horatio. Horatio quickly wrapped his arm protectively around his daughter as Jesse climbed out of the Hummer. Frank led the way through the crowd as Jesse and Eric flanked Horatio and Jessica on either side.

"Elizabeth!" a reported yelled, "Why have you been hiding all these years?"

"Elizabeth Johnson, what role have you been playing in the current Crip Kings activities?"

"Elizabeth why did you choose to take your mother's name as your own?"

"Elizabeth Johnson you do you understand how your actions have affected the entire country?"

"Lieutenant Caine why did you allow your daughter to hide for all these years instead of serving her prison sentence?"

Reporters continued to yell questions at Jessica and Horatio. They ignored all of them and continued their path to the door. They were almost there when Jessica heard the one question that made her blood boil.

"Elizabeth Johnson did you use Officer Wolfe to gain power within the Miami Dade crime lab so you could become more powerful within the gang community?"

Jessica spun and walked straight to the reporter. Jesse grabbed her arm and tried to pull her back.

"You know what lady?" Jessica sneered in her face, "You don't know a god damn thing about me. I didn't use anyone to gain any power. I choose to work at Miami Dade because I wanted to do some good in the world, unlike you. So why don't you head back to your little studio and sit at your stupid desk and continue to slander my name bitch!" Jessica turned to leave but stopped. She turned back to the reporter and looked into her eyes with an intensity Jesse had never seen. "And my name is Dr. Jessica Elizabeth Stone Caine. Get it right you dumb whore."

Jesse led Jessica back to Horatio and tried to stifle a laugh.

"What's so funny?" Jessica whispered to him.

"You, verbally assaulting reporters." Jesse said, "You're fierce. Remind me not to mess with you around 'that time of the month.'"

Jessica smiled. "Thank you and I'll give you forewarning."

* * *

><p>Jessica sat at the witness stand next to Judge Iddings's high bench. There were six men lined up in front of the defendant table.<p>

The state appointed defense attorney, Bill Gray, stood before her. "Now Dr. Caine can you please identify which of these men sexual assaulted you?"

Jessica looked at the disgusting faces before her. Some were still bandaged from when Jessica attacked them. One was wearing an eye patch to cover his now empty socket. A large scar ran down the left side of Tommy's face, one that Jessica knew he would have for the rest of his life.

"Those five," she said, pointing to the five older men.

Gray looked at her confused. "Dr. Caine according to this report from the hospital they were seven sperm contributors recovered from your body."

Jessica sat up a little straighter. "You're correct sir, but in order to be sexual assault one needs to desire to rape the victim."  
>"Are you saying then that this young man," he pointed to Tommy, "Did not sexually assault you? That rather you had consensual sex?"<p>

"No, I did not consent to have sex with him but Tommy didn't want to do it. They made him. They gave him Viagra and forced him to have sex with me. I don't know about you Mr. Gray but I've never heard of a rapist that apologized and cried while he was raping a woman. Then he came back and gave me Advil and apologized again. Tommy didn't try to hurt me; he tried to save me the whole time I was on that boat."

"Then are you saying then that Mr. Sherzer shouldn't be charged with any of the crimes that are being prosecuted against him?"

Jessica shook her head. "That's not what I'm saying. Tommy did participate in the gang but he didn't try to rape me."

"Then do you not want Mr. Sherzer to go to prison?"

"No, Tommy broke the law, he should go to prison. Just don't charge him with rape. He doesn't need that."

Gray sighed and shook his head. "No further questions."

* * *

><p>William looked at Jessica and smiled. "How are you Jessie?"<p>

Jessica did her best to give him a smile. "I'm ok."

"Jessica would you be willing to tell the jury what happened when you were on that boat?"

Jessica blinked back tears and looked at the jury box. "They kidnapped me, they tortured me, mutilated my body, killed my daughter, and then tried to kill me."  
>"What about Tommy Sherzer?" William asked, "What part did he take in this?"<p>

"At first he went along with them, but then something changed in him. He tried to help me. He gave me food and water and tended to my injuries. He allowed them to cut off his finger instead of mine and delivered it to my father. He told Horatio that I was alive and what kind of boat we were on and where he could find me the best he could."

"Would you say Jessica that Tommy is a criminal?"

"To some degree yes I would agree with that statement, but Tommy was alone, his parents and both of his brothers are dead, and felt he had no where to go but to the gang. That's where I think he became a criminal. He turned to the gang instead of someone else. There were plenty of other places he could have gone, but he choose the one that made his life hell. That I think he should be punished for."

* * *

><p>Horatio sat at the witness stand and looked at his daughter. William stood before him.<p>

"Lieutenant Caine would you say that Tommy Sherzer tried to harm or protect your daughter, based off the evidence presented to you?" William asked.

"I would have to say that Tommy did his best to keep Jessica alive. When I spoke to him while she was missing he said he was trying to keep her alive, but he didn't know how much longer it would work. He told me James's plan was to kill Jessica and then himself. The cell phone that Jessica called us from was Tommy's. He said he knew she had taken it but didn't try to get it back. He knew she was going to use it to call me and he let her. He said he knew it was the only way to save her."

"Lieutenant Caine would you say prison time would be an appropriate punishment for Mr. Sherzer?"

Horatio nodded his head. "Yes, as much as he tried to help Jessica he also allowed this to happen. He is as much at fault and they are. But he did help her so I believe he should not receive the same punishment as the others. Tommy's actions were a different degree than that of the others."

* * *

><p>The trial took all day. They braked for lunch and a brief recesses twice. It only took the jury two hours to make their decision.<p>

The foreman stood in the jury box and waited for Judge Iddings to address him.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?" Judge Iddings asked.

"We have your honor." the foreman responded, "In the case of Haines, Swift, Maher, Charlotte, and Mason we the jury find the defendants guilty of fourth degree sexual assault, kidnapping, assault with the intent to kill, and participating in known gang activity. In the case of Sherzer we find the defendant guilty of being involved in known gang activity and first degree sexual assault."  
>"Will that be all foremen?" Iddings asked.<p>

The man nodded his head. "Yes you Honor."

"Then you are excused for the day until tomorrow. Please return to this court no later than 8:30am. Thank you for your time." Judge Iddings turned his attention to the men before him. "Haines, Swift, Maher, Charlotte, and Mason you are hear by sentenced to serve two life sentences in the Florida State Prison with no chance of parole. Sherzer you are to serve two years in the Florida State Prison. This court is adjourned." Judge Iddings banged his gavel.

* * *

><p>Frank led Jessica and Horatio out of the courtroom. They walked down the hall and entered one of the witness holding rooms. Jessica and Horatio sat on the couch together. Jessica buried her face into her hand and started to cry. Horatio rubbed her shoulders and waited for her. She finally sat up and looked at her father.<p>

"God that was hard" she said.

"Are you ok?" Horatio asked her.

Jessica nodded her head. "Yeah I'll be find, it was just a lot more difficult than I thought it was going to be."  
>"It's more complicated than last time."<p>

Jessica nodded her head again. "I'm glad they didn't charge Tommy like the others. He's still going to have one hell of a life after he gets out, but it's for the best, I know it is."

Horatio pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "Everything's going to be ok, Bug."

"Just one more trial" Jessica whispered, "And it's going to be the worst of all."

* * *

><p>Ryan sat in the patrol car looking at the mass waiting for him outside the courthouse. It was the day of James's trial and Ryan was being called in as a witness. He was to be escorted into the courthouse by a couple of Frank's officers. Ryan was dreading what the reporters would ask him after his declaration on the news Sunday night.<p>

"Are you ready Officer Wolfe?" one of the men asked him.

Ryan sighed and looked out the window one last time. "As ready as I'll never be."

They climbed out of the car and headed towards the door. Ryan focused on getting inside. Once he was inside he wouldn't have to hear the horrid things they were yelling about Jessica.

"Officer Wolfe, why are you testifying today?"

"Officer Wolfe how will this trial affect your relationship with Elizabeth Johnson?"

"Officer Wolfe is it true that you're Elizabeth Johnson's supervisor and it's against department regulations to date subordinates?"

"Officer Wolfe why would you choose to break the rules against department relationships?"

"Because there are some things that are more important than stupid rules." Ryan muttered to himself.

* * *

><p>Jessica was picking at her nails. She was chipping pieces of the acrylic glue that was still there almost five weeks after her trip to the Keys. She hadn't removed the nails before she was kidnapped and no one removed them while she was in the hospital. Now it looked like she had stuck her fingernails in a blender.<p>

She was nervous. She knew he would be there soon. She was waiting with Horatio and William in the courtroom. The jury was eyeing her over. It was the same group of twelve from the day before. Jessica could only imagine what they were thinking of her, sitting there mutilating her nails, looking like a nervous wreck.

Horatio reached over and took Jessica's hand. "You're not supposed to use your left hand yet."

"Sorry Daddy" Jessica whispered, looking down at the table.

Horatio intertwined his fingers with Jessica's. "Everything's going to be fine Bug."

"I'm scared Daddy." Jessica whispered, "What if he gets away with it?"

"He won't Bug. We've got a quality jury, a great judge, and the best lawyer in the state. There's no way James is going to get away with this again."

Then there he was. He was being led in by a couple of guards. He was dressed in a blue pin stripped suit, no doubt provided by the prison, but his hands and feet were still shackled together and attached to a chain around his waist. He was followed by a state appointed defense attorney. Thomas Martinez, that's what his name was. Martinez was known for accepting cases involving murder and rape and other heinous crimes. He felt it gave him a good image trying to help the "underdog." Horatio knew he had seen him somewhere before.

Jessica felt her stomach churn at the site of him, but she wasn't afraid anymore. Horatio squeezed her hand. "Are you ok Bug?"

Jessica's eyes seemed to darken and her lips pursed together. "Yeah, I'm ready for this now."

"All rise," the bailiff announced, "The honorable Judge Greg Iddings now presiding."

* * *

><p>Jessica sat in the witness stand. That man kept getting so close to her. He would lean against the banister and look at her with his black eyes. He would smile at her and Jessica could see how yellow his teeth were. His breath reeked of coffee and Jessica wondered the last time he had even looked at a toothbrush.<p>

"Now Ms. Johnson-"

"Excuse, my name is Dr. Stone-Caine and I would appreciate it if you would address me as so."

"Alright, Ms. Stone-Caine-"

"Dr. Stone-Caine, or if that's too much for you to handle I guess we can stick with Dr. Caine."

"Elizabeth can we just get on with this?"

"Mr. Martinez I'm not the one calling people by the wrong name here. I've told you multiple times that my name is Dr. Jessica Stone-Caine, but I'm willing to help you out here and shorten it to just Dr. Caine but you're the one that's making this difficult."

"Young lady I will not stand here and have you humiliate me!"

"No need to I can see you're doing just fine on your own."

"Elizabeth!" Martinez grabbed the banister of the witness stand and leaned in towards Jessica's face. Jessica yelped and shot backwards. She bashed her shoulder into the wall and tears formed in her eyes from the pain. Jesse rushed to her side from his place outside the witness stand.

"It's ok Jessica," he said soothingly to her, "Sir I'm going to have to ask you to back up." He said to Martinez.

"Mr. Martinez," Judge Iddings said, "If you're going to just stand there and harass Dr. Caine then I will not allow you any further questions and you may take your seat now. If you would like to continue questioning her I'm going to ask that you stand no closer than three feet from the witness stand."

Martinez gave Jessica a dirty look before he stepped back.

"Are you ok?" Jesse whispered in Jessica's ear. Jessica nodded her head. "Yes, thank you." Jesse stepped out of the witness stand and resumed his place.

"Alright then _Dr. Caine_" Martinez sneered.

"Mr. Martinez if you're going to continue to act like this I will have you removed and dismiss this case without further investigation." Judge Iddings warned him.

Martinez turned away from Judge Iddings and rolled his eyes. "Dr. Caine can you explain why we're here today?"

"There's a court session going on." Jessica sarcastically spat at him, "Good to see you're with the program."

"But why is there a trial?" Martinez asked her.

"Do you really want me to spell it out for you?" Jessica asked in response. "That man," she said pointing to James, "Kidnapped me. Then he injected me with heroin, raped me, tortured me, raped me again, called my father on my cell phone and taunted him, mutilated my body, killed my daughter, took pictures of her and sent them to her father, and tried to kill me. Now I'm pressing charges against him. That's why we're here."

"Dr. Caine do you realize that this man is a death row inmate from Illinois?" Martinez asked her.

"As a matter of fact I do, because he was serving that sentence for killing my biological father."

"Then why are you pressing charges if he's just going to be executed in three months?"

Jessica looked at him with a blank but angry stare. "You're really asking me that question?"

"Yes Dr. Caine, as a matter of fact I am."

"Are you stupid? Did you not just hear what I just said? He tried to kill me! He held me prisoner! He had the opportunity to return me to my father but choose not to! He is the reason that I will never have the chance to meet my daughter!"

"But Dr. Caine it seems pointless to have a trial for a man who is going to be executed."  
>Jessica glared at him and crossed her arms. "Her name was going to be Melinda. Melinda Renee Caine Wolfe. Now she's just number CA1473-10. She's sitting in a bag in the freezer at the Miami Dade morgue. Why don't you ask her if this trial is pointless?"<p>

* * *

><p>Ryan was sworn in with the bailiff. He sat in the chair at the witness stand. He looked at Jessica and gave her a small smile. She looked back at him and tried to smile.<p>

"Mr. Wolfe," Martinez started, "Can you tell us what happened the day Dr. Caine was kidnapped?"

"We were called into work to check out something found on the body of David Sherzer, who was the gunman that shot up the crime lab in an attempt to kill Horatio Caine." Ryan explained, "When we got to the lab Jessica told me to get out of the car and walk to Horatio and leave her."

"Why would she do that?" Martinez interjected.

"Because she knew the Crip Kings were there and she didn't want them to take me, too."  
>"What did you do when she asked you to get out of the car?"<p>

"I objected at first but then I finally agreed to it. I got out and walked to Horatio."  
>"Then what happened?"<p>

"Will you stop interrupting me?" Ryan asked impatiently, "I'm getting there. Jessica drove off and then someone started shooting from the Crip Kings' car. Jessica returned fire but they dragged her out of the car, knocked her unconscious, and then drove away with her."

"Why do you think Mr. Wilson would do such a thing?" Martinez asked him.

Ryan thought it over for a second. "Revenge," he finally said, "Revenge for what happened to him."

* * *

><p>This man was ruthless. Martinez was drilling Ryan about every little detail and showed no mercy when Ryan started crying at the thought of Jessica alone and scared on that boat. Judge Iddings had to call for an emergency recesses when Ryan had finally broke down and started having a panic attack. When they returned Ryan was still shaky but his eyes burned with hatred.<p>

"Mr. Wolfe, did Mr. Wilson actually physically harm you in anyway?" Martinez asked him.

Ryan looked at him, his eyes red and face flushed. "No, he never touched me."

"Then why does this report from Dr. Green state that you are suffering from post traumatic stress disorder if you were never in the presence of Mr. Wilson?"

"I was there." Ryan somberly said, "I was there when Jessica was taken, when James called and taunted Horatio, when we finally found her and he dared me to shoot him. He taunted me on the phone as well. I watched him injected heroin into my baby through Jessica's abdomen. He sent me a picture message of my baby hanging from the hook he used to abort her and Jessica crying and bleeding in the background. He sent my baby to the crime lab for Horatio to find. I watched as he tortured Jessica and mutilated her." Ryan looked directly into Martinez's eyes, his hazel eyes burning with anger and grief. "For what it's worth to you I love Jessica. To watch her cry in pain and knowing I can't do anything about it kills me."

"Mr. Wolfe can you explain to the jury what happened in the hospital last month?" Martinez asked him.

Ryan knew what he was trying to do, but Ryan wasn't going to back down. "I beat him. I beat James Wilson. I wanted him to feel the pain that Jessica had felt. I wanted him to know what it was going to be like for me."

"Did you try to kill him?"

"No, I knew someone would find him before the morphine would kill him. I just wanted him to feel the fear I lived with for three days. Not knowing whether or not your whole world is going to come to an end because of what one person did. I wanted him to know what it's like to panic because the one person you love more than anything in the world is about to die."

"That seems awful harsh of you Mr. Wolfe."

Ryan leaned forward and looked at Martinez. "Are you married Mr. Martinez?"

Martinez looked at him leeringly. "Yes, why?"

"Do you have children?"

"Yes, two daughters."

"How would you feel if your wife had been taken away from you right in front of you and there was nothing you could do about it? How would you feel if you had to watch your wife be tortured and raped for three days straight and you didn't even know where she was? How would you feel if you knew your wife was going to die if you didn't find her in time?"

Martinez's face went pale and he looked scared.

"What do you do when your wife is hurt Mr. Martinez? Do you comfort her? Hold her in your arms and tell her everything is going to be ok?" Ryan felt tears of anger form in his eyes. He clenched his hands into fists in his lap. "Do you know what I have to do now to comfort my girlfriend? I have to look at her from across the room and hope she understands that I still love her. I can't touch her, I can't hold her, I can't make her feel better. I have to watch her sit there in pain and do nothing. I don't even know if she wants me back after what happened. She hasn't told me she loves me since the day she was taken. I'm afraid that she's always going to be scared of me."

Ryan paused to catch his breath as the tears became heavier. "When I'm in the same room as her she cries and tries to get away from me. She's scared of me because of what he," Ryan jabbed his finger towards James, "Did to her. I don't have my Jessica anymore because he hurt her. I feel like I'm lost without her, but she's the one wandering around scared."

Ryan brushed the tears from his face. "What was it like Mr. Martinez? What was it like holding your daughters for the first time? Did you like it? Did you feel proud? Were you happy? Do you know what I felt like the first time I held my daughter? Defeated, pained, lost, dead. I only had the chance to hold my daughter once in her life and she was dead. I'm never going to have that chance to hold her, tell her I love her, tell her everything's going to be ok. You know why, because everything isn't going to be ok because she's dead. He killed her. My daughter is gone.

"Do you know what that's like Mr. Martinez?"

* * *

><p>Horatio stared at the man that made him feel like vomiting. James was sitting there at the table staring at him. Horatio turned his head back towards William.<p>

"Lieutenant Caine," William began, "Is this the first time you've dealt with James Wilson?"

"No," Horatio asked, "When Jessica and I lived back in Chicago he dated her. Back when she was still Elizabeth and I was her Godfather. He tricked her into becoming his girlfriend, as he called her. It was more like she was his slave. He made her do his dirty work. Then he killed Brian. That's why he's on death row already."

"Lieutenant Caine why are you pressing charges against Wilson?"

"He didn't hurt Izzy this time. He hurt my Jessica. I can't sit here as a father and not fight for justice for my daughter. I love Jessica and I can't stand watching her cry in pain." Horatio rubbed his eyes. "I feel like I'm at my wits end. She's in so much pain. One minute she'll be fine and then the next she's panicking and throwing things at her own brother."

"Lieutenant Caine what do you want out of this case?" William asked.

"I want justice. I want justice for my Jessica, for Ryan, for myself," Horatio paused, "For Elizabeth."

* * *

><p>James was sitting in the witness stand now. William had called on him for questioning.<p>

"Mr. Wilson, why did you kidnap Jessica Caine?"

James gave him his evil smirk. "I didn't kidnap no Jessica, I retrieved my Izzy."

"Mr. Wilson according to these files Elizabeth Johnson has been dead for fourteen years and the woman you kidnapped was Jessica Caine."  
>"No, that's my Izzy sitting there." James pointed to Jessica. "I thought she was dead but then I heard she was in Miami. I knew I needed to get her back. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her still. We tried to run away and get married but that bastard," James pointed at Horatio, "Took her away from me! I needed my justice! I needed my redemption! I needed my Izzy!"<p>

"Mr. Wilson why did you feel you needed justice?" William asked.

James's eyes glazed over and something in him seemed to change.

"Because I still love Izzy."

* * *

><p>It was Thursday. The trial had started Tuesday. It had taken three days to review all the evidence, to question all the witnesses, and the lawyers had presented their closing arguments. Now all they had to do was wait for the jury to decide.<p>

They were in that room for hours. Jessica picked at her nails nervously, wishing they would hurry up with their decision. Horatio took her hand and intertwined their fingers again.

"You need to stop or Alexx will be upset that you used your left arm too soon." He said.

"I'm sorry Daddy" Jessica whispered.

He leaned over and nuzzled his nose into her hair. "There's nothing to be sorry about, you did nothing wrong Bug."

Jessica leaned against his shoulder and cuddled into him. She was exhausted. The trial was making the night terrors more frequent. Yesterday James had declared he still loved Izzy and that brought on the worst of the nightmares. Jessica hadn't been able to sleep alone since she came home. Now Horatio's torso was covered in Jessica fist sized bruises from where she would punch him in her sleep.

In one particularly bad nightmare she was on the boat again. She was stabbing James and yelling at him to die. She woke up to Horatio screaming as she pounded her fist into his groin. She cried for hours after that. She apologized again and again. Horatio told her it was ok and that he was fine. Eventually Jessica cried herself to sleep in Horatio's arms.

Thursday morning Jessica woke up before Horatio. She peered into his boxer briefs to see that his penis was bruised and a little swollen. She had laid her head on his stomach and started to cry over the pain she had caused her father. Horatio lifted her head and looked into her eyes.

"It's ok Bug, I know you didn't mean to." he said.

"But Daddy I hurt you again!" Jessica cried as she buried her face into his stomach. "You probably hate me now."

Horatio sat up and pulled her onto his lap. He didn't even flinch when her butt brushed against his injured groin.

"Jessica Elizabeth Stone Caine there isn't a thing in this world you could do to make me hate you. You're my daughter and I love you no matter what. You are and always will be my little girl, my little Jessie Bug, my shining star."

They waited. Two hours went by and still no decision. Then four hours and they were still waiting. Six hours came and went and the jury was still discussing. Finally after eight hours the bailiff came out and spoke with the judge. He whispered but Jessica was still able to catch the words "reviewing tapes" and "need more time." Judge Iddings nodded his head and agreed. The bailiff left the courtroom and they were left in silence again.

Ten hours went by and it was 8:17pm. The bailiff returned to the courtroom and stood before Judge Iddings. He whispered something else to Judge Iddings and the judge reluctantly nodded his head. The bailiff left the courtroom and Judge Iddings addressed the courtroom.

"The jury has requested they adjourn their session for tonight and return in the morning with a verdict." Judge Iddings announced, "I have granted them more time but they are to deliver their decision no later than 2:00pm tomorrow afternoon. This court will resume tomorrow morning at 9:00am sharp until then."


	19. How it was supposed to be

How it was supposed to be

Jessica was running. She was running down the footbridge. Her ribs hurt but he was going to catch her if she stopped. She tripped and fell to the ground, smashing her teeth out as she landed.

Then he was on top of her, forcing himself inside her. He hurt her so bad. Jessica felt blood run down her thighs and felt the burn of his seed being shot inside her. When he pulled out there was a tiny baby holding onto the end of his penis. It looked at her, flipped her off, pulled out a knife, and slit its own throat.

Jessica cried out for help. She looked around. She could see Horatio standing there watching. He walked over to Brian sitting on a couch with a bucket of popcorn and sat down with him. Their icy blues eyes locked on her as they watched him hurt her and enjoyed their snack. The baby waddled over and sat with them, its head flopping to the side on its shoulders.

Jessica looked back at him. His eyes were icy blue and burned like white fire. He punched her in the face. Jessica screamed for help but no one was there. He started stabbing her with a knife again and again. She tried to plead with him to stop, but he wouldn't listen.

"Please Ryan stop!" she cried.

"No my love," Ryan sneered at her, "You went back to him and now you have to pay!"

"But he kidnapped me! You saw it yourself! I told you I would never go back to him! Please Ryan stop! I love you Ryan!"

"Oh sure, now you say it! What about the last five weeks that I've been telling you I love you and you just ignored me! How do you think I felt Izzy?"

"Please Ryan stop! You know I love you! Please stop hurting me!"

"No Izzy, he said he still loved you! I can't have you anymore if you love him!"

"But I don't! I only love you Ryan!"

"Sorry Izzy, you're too late."

Ryan lifted Jessica from the ground and threw her over the railing. Jessica screamed as she fell towards the water. She hit it hard and felt her body freeze. She couldn't move. She was drowning.

Horatio rowed by in a boat and just looked at her. His icy blue eyes were empty as he stared at her.

"Daddy help me!" Jessica yelled.

"You're not my daughter." Horatio said. He lifted his oar and beat her over the head. Then he reached in the water and pulled her out by her neck. "And give me this back." His hand tore through her skin and grasped something. He pulled his hand out and revealed a kidney dripping with blood. Horatio threw her back into the water and the river pulled Jessica back down stream.

Jessica fought against the waves. They were becoming impossibly huge and powerful. She bobbed up and down, fighting to stay alive. There was a low hanging bridge ahead. It was only three feet from the water. Ryan, Horatio, Jessica, and Brian stood there looking down at her. Their eyes almost white they were so light a shade of blue.

"Please help me! Someone please! I'm going to die!" Jessica yelled.

"That's the point Izzy." They said together. "You're dead now. We have someone else now."

A young girl walked out onto the bridge. Her curly hair was blonde streaked with purple and red. She had a lip ring on either side of her mouth and a hoop in her nose. Black and green make up was drawn around her ice blue eyes. Chills ran down Jessica's spine as the young Elizabeth Johnson smiled down at her.

"It's ok Izzy, you'll be in a better place soon enough." Izzy said.

"My name isn't Izzy! My name is Jessica!" Jessica yelled at her.

"No Izzy, I'm Jessica." Izzy grinned, exposing teeth wrapped in braces, "Don't worry Izzy you won't be alone."

The current picked up and pulled Jessica faster. There it was. A dam stood at the end of the river. Standing on top of the cement structure was James.

"No!" Jessica cried, "No please no!" She tried swimming away, but the current was too strong.

James reached into the water and pulled her out. He looked into her eyes with his icy blue ones. He kissed her roughly and pulled her body against his.

"Izzy dear, I knew you would come back to me."

"Noooo!" Jessica tried to fight to get away, but James was too strong.

He grabbed her left arm and ripped it right off of her body. He threw it into the river and Jessica watched it wash away over the dam. Jessica cried and continued to fight.

A boat floated down the river. Ryan and Brian were rowing as Jessica and Izzy sat together in the front while Horatio stood in the back.

"Sorry Izzy," Horatio said, raising his gun, "This is how it has to be this way."

"Nooo! Daddy, please don't!"

"I've already told you, Izzy, you're not my daughter. Jessie is my daughter now. This is how it was supposed to be."

Horatio held his gun up and shot at Jessica.

* * *

><p>Horatio dove into the bed as Jessica screamed and thrashed around. The sling popped open and Jessica screamed louder as her injured shoulder whipped across her chest.<p>

"Jessie! Jessie wake up!" Horatio yelled. He held her against his body to keep her from beating her shoulder anymore. "Please Jessica come back to me!" Jessica sobbed hysterically in Horatio's arms, unable to wake up. She pushed against him, but Horatio kept his hold on her. "Please Jessica, I'm right here. You can come back. Please wake up."

Jessica's eyes suddenly started to focus and her body began to relax. She looked at Horatio with a scared expression on her face. "Daddy?" she quietly said.

"Yes Jessie, I'm right here. You're safe now. It was only a dream."

Jessica buried her face in his chest and cried loudly. "Daddy it was terrible! Everyone was trying to kill me! We were on the footbridge in Chicago. Ryan raped me and our baby crawled out and killed itself and you and Brian were watching. Then Ryan threw me in the river and you rowed by in a boat and said I wasn't your daughter and beat me with the oar and ripped out my kidney. Then you, Ryan, Jessica, and Brian were standing on another footbridge and everyone told me I had to die because they had someone else now. Then Izzy walked out and said she was Jessica and said that I wouldn't be alone. Then James pulled me out of the water and then you shot me!" Jessica sobbed and pressed her body closer to Horatio's. "Everyone had James's eyes. It was like he was watching me all the time."

Jessica began to hyperventilate. Horatio held her protectively against his chest.

"Just relax Jessie. It was just a dream and no one can hurt you. Relax breath slower. Come on Jess, you have to try."

Jessica managed to calm herself down enough and stopped hyperventilating.

"Are you ok?" Horatio asked. Jessica nodded her head. She looked into his eyes and new tears formed. "Where did you go? You left me alone!"

"I'm so sorry Jessica. I left you for two minutes to use the bathroom. Then I heard you screaming and I ran back."

Jessica continued to breathe slowly and looked at her father. "You didn't piss on the wall, did you?"

Horatio smiled and kissed her forehead. "I might have. Would you be angry with me if I did?"

Horatio felt a small smile form against his neck. "No Daddy, I could never be angry with you."

"Let's fix this up." Horatio said, picking up the sling. "Does everything feel alright?"  
>Jessica carefully lifted her arm. It shook under the strain of not being used for so long. She moved her fingers and stretched out her elbow. "Yeah I think everything's fine. Can we not go to the hospital though?"<p>

"No, we don't have to if you don't want to. Everything looks ok to me. Let's get you wrapped back up." Horatio carefully placed her arm in the sling and re-clasped it. "There, all better."

Jessica smiled but tears continued to run down her cheeks.

"Is there something else bothering you, Bug?" Horatio asked.

Jessica shrugged her shoulders. "Ryan said he doesn't know if I love him anymore because I haven't told him since before…." Jessica shuddered at the thought.

Horatio carefully pulled her against his body and laid down. He pulled the blankets up over them and held Jessica close. "I'm sure he knows."

"Then why would he say something like that?"

"Well sometimes people need something more to reassure them of what's there."

"Like Izzy did."  
>Horatio sighed softly. "Yeah, just like Izzy did."<p>

"I don't know if I can prove to Ryan I still love him."

"Why's that Bug?"

Jessica leaned over her father and looked into his eyes. Tears filled her eyes and quickly began pouring down her face.

"Because I don't if I do."


	20. Decision

**I apologize to everyone who's been hanging off the edge of their seats waiting for the next chapter. I've been really busy with working full time at my new job and it seems right now I can only update once a week or so. Please don't be discouraged by my lack of updating. :(**

Decision

Four hours. They had been sitting in the courtroom for four hours waiting for the jury to deliver their verdict. Jessica looked at her watch. They only had one more hour to decide.

Jessica looked around the room. They had allowed the witnesses to be present for the verdict. Alexx and Ryan were sitting together amongst the many chairs. Alexx shot her a warning look when she saw Jessica picking at her nails with her left hand. Jessica quickly turned around and placed her right hand in her lap. Horatio chuckled and slipped his hand into hers.

"Didn't I tell you Alexx would be pissed if you kept using that hand." he whispered.

"Oh shut up you." Jessica sassed back at him.

"Keep up that attitude and I won't let Ryan take you to the homecoming dance."

Jessica couldn't help but smile. "You were listening to us last week, weren't you?"

"Well I couldn't have my little girl sit in a room alone with a boy, now could I?"

Jessica squeezed his hand and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I love you Daddy."

The bailiff walked into the courtroom and stood before Judge Iddings. They whispered back and forth and Jessica was just able to catch the words "bring them in" from Judge Iddings. The bailiff left the room again but returned shortly followed by the twelve jury members. They took their seats before the foreman stood and waited to be addressed.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?" Judge Iddings asked.

"We have your honor." The foremen began, "We the jury in the case of James Wilson find the defendant guilty of kidnapping, holding an individual prisoner,torture, fourth degree sexual assault, unlawful abortion, assault with the intent to kill, and voluntary attempted murder."

"Will that be all?" Judge Iddings asked.

"Yes your honor."  
>"Then I would like to personally thank each and every one of you that has served on this jury. You have done not only a great service to your city and country but also to a fellow human being. I know this trial wasn't an easy one, both time wise and emotionally, but I assure you that your decision has given a family the justice they so deserved. I know Lieutenant and Doctor Caine greatly appreciate you serving on this jury. Though some don't agree I strongly believe that Elizabeth Johnson and Jessica Caine are not the same person. I can't speak for Melinda Wolfe's parents but I know they appreciate what you have done. Their daughter has not die in disgrace. She can now rest in peace."<p>

The foreman nodded his head. Jessica could see tears forming in his eyes along with the other jury members. "Thank you your honor." He sat back down in his chair and rubbed at his eyes.

Judge Iddings turned his attention to James. "Well Mr. Wilson normally I would give you the death sentence for what you've done, but unfortunately I cannot do that. Instead I am sentencing you to five life sentences to be served consecutively with no chance of parole. I also confirm that you be executed in the state of Illinois for the murder of Lieutenant Brian Johnson no later than September 1st.

"This court is adjourned." Judge Iddings banged his gavel before him.

James was pulled from his chair and led out of the courtroom. He looked at Jessica with his icy blue eyes burning. "I meant what I said!" he yelled at her, "I still love you Izzy! I always will!"

"Ah go fuck yourself!" Jessica yelled back at him.

Horatio laughed and pulled his daughter into his arms. "We won Bug."

Jessica nodded her head and Horatio felt her tears start to soak his jacket. Jessica just sat there in her father's arms like a child and sobbed. Her whole body shook as her grief and pain were finally released.

"Jessie Bug," Alexx said approaching her, "Oh baby come here." Alexx pulled Jessica from the chair and into a tight hug. "I feel like I should congratulate you but I know that won't make anything better. But you did it Jessica; you got that bastard locked away again."

"Lieutenant, Dr. Caine" Jessica heard a man's voice say. She pulled back from Alexx to see Judge Iddings standing before her. He had changed from his robes and was wearing a blue suit. "I just wanted to give you my condolences. I'm sorry for the loss of your child."

"Thank you your honor." Jessica polity said.

"You can call me Greg, Jess. Your father and I go way back. I remember the first case he had to testify for in my court." Judge Iddings smiled and looked at Horatio. "Eleven years ago, the singing bomber."

"Making bombs that didn't detonate until someone sang an E flat." Horatio reminisced.

"Thank you sir," Jessica said, "I appreciate all you've done for us."

Judge Iddings smiled at her and carefully placed his hand on her shoulder. "You know I almost didn't get to hear this case. The DA tried to claim this was a double jeopardy case, that James Wilson had already been tried for crimes against you. But I told them the first time his victim was Elizabeth Johnson, not Jessica Caine. They asked me why I believed you were a different person. I told them because Izzy would have never gone to college. She would have never worked in the police force with a prison record. Jessica is everything Izzy would never have done. You're a different person now. Izzy was trouble. You want to help people Jessica. Besides, everyone deserves a second chance, and that's just what you got."

Jessica's eyes filled with tears. She slowly wrapped her good arm around Judge Iddings's torso. He carefully placed his arms around her shoulders. "You're going to do amazing things Jessica Caine, I know it. And from the looks of those guys I wouldn't want to meet you in a dark alley."

Jessica laughed and pulled back. "Thank you Judge Iddings," she said with a smile.

He returned the smile with one of his own. "Anything for Horatio Caine's little girl. Rule number one-"

"Never piss Horatio Caine off." Jessica finished with a smile.

"Take care, Jessica." Judge Iddings said as he walked away.

Ryan slowly approached the prosecution table. He looked at Jessica with his large hazel eyes. Jessica looked at him and smiled. "Hey Ry," she said. A small smile crept across Ryan's face. "Hey Jess," he said quietly. He reached his hand out and waited for her. Jessica looked at it for a moment before she extended her own. She placed her hand in his and watched his fingers curl around it. They looked at each other for a few moments without speaking.

"He's right you know," Jessica said, "Our daughter didn't die in vain."


	21. Don't call me that

Don't call me that

Kyle walked to the door when he heard the doorbell ring. He opened it to find Ryan standing on the other side.

"Hey Ryan," Kyle said, stepping aside to let him in.

"Hey Kyle, you're still here?" Ryan said as he walked into the house.

"Yeah I have to go back Wednesday. They army gave me an extra five days off after the trial concluded. Dad's going back to work tomorrow and I get to stay home with Jessica for the next three days."

"How's she been?" Ryan asked as they walked down the hall to the living room.

"Well she seems less stressed out, but she's still having the night terrors." They entered the living room and found Horatio and Jessica asleep on the couch. Horatio was lying on his back with Jessica cuddled up on top of him. Kyle had thrown a blanket over them as they snoozed. The menu for a DVD was playing on the TV screen. Kyle picked up the remote and turned off the TV.

"I don't even know if they slept last night. She woke up around three in the morning crying." Kyle shuddered, "I could hear Jessica's screams from my room. She hasn't been able to sleep without Dad." Kyle turned to Ryan. "I'm worried about her. Jessie looks so sick and weak. Her final presentation is coming up for her internship. If she fails this then she has to start all over again at a new location with another internship. I don't want that to happen, she's been through enough already."

Ryan watched Jessica and Horatio sleep. Jessica twitched and whimpered. Horatio's hold on her tightened and he mumbled something to her. Kyle couldn't help but chuckle lightly.

"It's gotten to the point where Dad doesn't even wake up sometimes. Only when Jessica starts screaming and hitting him does he actually regain consciousness." Kyle explained. "Sometimes the dreams are really terrible. Dad told me one night he woke up to Jessica beating the shit out of him in her sleep. He said she got him where it hurts a few times."  
>Ryan raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You mean-"<p>

"Right in the baby maker," Kyle finished. He kicked himself for his choice of words, knowing the wounds were still fresh for Ryan over the loss of his child.

Horatio stirred in his sleep. He slowly opened his eyes and scanned the room. He looked at Ryan and a small smile graced his face.

"Mr. Wolfe," he said, "I didn't expect to see you here."

Ryan smiled and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "Well it was kind of a spur of the moment decision. I just had to see Jessie again."

Horatio lifted his hand and subconsciously began stroking his daughter's hair. "Well I'm sure she misses you still." He paused briefly before continuing. "She was crying your name in her sleep last night."

Ryan was surprised by this news. "Was it a nightmare?"

Horatio shook his head. "No, I don't think so. She just kept saying your name again and again. I think she needs you."

Ryan smiled a little. "Well I think I need her just as much."

"It's difficult living without a part of you, isn't it?" Horatio asked.

Ryan nodded his head. "Yeah, living without her for the last couple of weeks has been hard."

Jessica groaned and swiveled her head around. She yawned quietly and laid her head on Horatio's chest again. "What the hell were you dreaming about old man?" she asked.

Horatio chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "Excuse me but I just woke up."

"Again, what were you dreaming about old man? God, freaking morning wood at what? Two o'clock in the afternoon?"

"Actually it's three," Ryan replied.

Jessica slowly opened her eyes and sat up. She looked at Ryan with sleep filled eyes and messy hair. "Hey," she said to him, "When did you get here?"

"Only a few minutes ago." Ryan said, "I needed to see you."

Jessica smiled and looked at him. She reached across Horatio and picked up her glasses from the table. She whimpered in pain when she stretched and grabbed her ribs.

"Does it hurt Bug?" Horatio asked her, sitting up.

"Just a little."

"Ryan can you go retrieve the Advil from the guest bedroom while I go get some water?"

Ryan was a little surprised Horatio asked him but he agreed anyways. "Yeah sure, I'll be right back. Which room is it?" he asked walking towards the stairs.

"Second door on the left. If you get to the room with the toilet you went too far. Which reminds me, Kyle go clean the bathroom walls."  
>"Why?" Kyle asked.<p>

"Some hooligan pissed all over them the other night." Horatio said as he stood up.

Ryan chuckled and headed up the stairs. He found the guest bedroom and grabbed the Advil off the nightstand. He passed Kyle in the hall grumbling about having to always clean up his father's messes. Horatio met Ryan at the bottom of the stairs with a glass of water.

"Now there's something I never thought I would see." Ryan said, taking in his boss's clothing choice. "Lieutenant Horatio Caine in sweatpants and a t-shirt. I didn't think you even owned sweatpants H."

Horatio smiled. "Well there are a lot of things you don't know about me, Mr. Wolfe."

"Yeah like you piss on the walls and make your children clean it up."  
>Horatio laughed at Ryan's joke. "Well that was because Jessica was having a rather terrible nightmare and I had to get back to her as quick as I could." He held out the glass of water. Ryan looked at it tentatively but took it. "Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to eat something since I slept through lunch. Tell Jessica I'll have something for her in a few minutes."<p>

Ryan nodded his head and walked back to the living room.

Jessica looked nervous when he walked in alone, but didn't try to hide from him. Ryan held out the water and Advil for her and she took the bottle with one shaky hand. She skillfully uncapped the child proof lid and set the bottle in front of her. She scooped out three and popped them into her mouth. She held out her hand and Ryan gave her the glass of water. Without thinking he reached down and took the bottle and lid and closed it, setting the bottle on the coffee table. Jessica didn't even flinch when his hand grazed her leg.

Ryan sat on the coffee table and looked at her. Jessica didn't speak for a moment but instead held out the glass for Ryan to take. He set it on the coffee table next to him and continued to look at her.

"Mr. Wolfe," Horatio's voice sounded from the kitchen, "Get off my coffee table!"

Ryan jumped at the command and stood there confused. "How did he know?"

Jessica chuckled briefly and smiled. "Daddy's seems to have bad guy senses. He knows when someone is doing something wrong."

"Are you saying I'm a bad guy?" Ryan smirked.

Jessica seemed shocked at his response. "No! No, Ryan you're not a bad guy! I'm sorry I didn't mean to say you were bad!"

Ryan chuckled. "It's ok Jessie, I know you didn't mean it. So, where am I supposed to sit?"

"How about on the couch?" Horatio yelled again.

Jessica rolled her eyes and glanced over the couch. She turned back to Ryan and smiled. "I swear he has this room bugged."  
>"No I don't!" Horatio quickly protested.<p>

Ryan and Jessica laughed together.

Ryan looked at her tentatively. "So is it ok if I sit on the couch?"

"Well…" Jessica nervously responded.

"I'm the dad and I say yes!" Horatio yelled, "Just sit on the damn couch!"

"Daddy!" Jessica sassed over the back of the couch. Jessica turned back to Ryan and rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, he's impossible sometimes."  
>"I heard that!"<p>

"Good you crazy old man!"

"Hey!"

Jessica looked at Ryan and pushed one of the throw pillows to the side. Ryan slowly sat down next to Jessica. They sat there for a few minutes in silence, not really sure what to do.

"Touch her!" Horatio yelled. Ryan felt his ears burn at the command but didn't move.

"Dad can you have just one conversation with Ryan that doesn't make him turn red?" Jessica yelled to her father.

"He's only red? I was hoping for purple!"

"Geez," Jessica said, rolling her eyes again.

Ryan looked at Jessica's hand. It was sitting on her leg, palm down. Ryan carefully slid his hand under it and intertwined their fingers. Jessica jumped a little at the sudden contact but didn't run. She closed her fingers around Ryan's hand and held it. She leaned her head against his shoulder and smiled.

They sat there for awhile without speaking. Ryan could feel the heat radiating from her body and breathed deeply. She smelled like honeysuckle and oranges, different than the last time. Jessica smiled and nuzzled her head against Ryan's shoulder.

"This is nice." she said, "Just sitting here with you. I've missed this."

Ryan smiled and leaned his head on top of hers. "Yeah, I've missed you, too."

"When are you going back to work?" Jessica asked him.

"Tomorrow," Ryan answered, "I had this week off because of the trial."

"Oh, ok," Jessica responded. She thought silently to herself for a moment. "Where have you been living? You know, since I was in the hospital."  
>"I've been staying at my apartment." Ryan chuckled lightly. "My neighbors apparently thought I had moved out because they hadn't seen me in so long. They didn't ask me where I had been though. I think they've been watching the news for once."<p>

Horatio walked in and set a plate of chips and queso dip on Jessica's lap. "Eat up, kids," he said. He looked at Ryan and gave him a quick smile and winked at him.

Jessica just looked at the plate without moving. "Are you not hungry?" Ryan asked her.

"I am," Jessica responded quietly, "But I don't want to let go of your hand."

Ryan smiled and reached for the plate with his free hand. He pulled it closer to him and picked up a chip. He dunked it in the cheese and held it up to Jessica's mouth. She graciously accepted the chip with a smile. She crunched on it loudly as she continued to smile at him. "Problem solved," Ryan whispered in her ear. He leaned in and gently kissed her neck. Jessica didn't jump when his lips grazed her neck. Her skin tingled where he had kissed her.

Ryan continued to feed Jessica and ate some of the chips himself. He set the empty plate on the coffee table. He released her hand and wrapped his left arm around her waist and slipped his right hand into her good hand. Jessica melted into his touch and nuzzled her head against his chest.

"I love you Jessica." Ryan said, "I always will. Nothing can ever change that." He kissed her neck again and rested his head on her shoulder. "Watching you in the coma in the hospital was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I would sit there for hours, talking to you, hoping you would come back to me."  
>"You're the reason I woke up." Jessica said, "I smelled James on your clothes and I knew you were in trouble. Alexx said I was yelling her name and then I just woke up. Thank you Ryan for always being there for me. I…I….I really appreciate everything you've done for me. This has been the best eight months of my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world."<p>

Ryan smiled against Jessica's neck. "I should probably go now. Rachael asked me to come over for dinner. She says Taylor and Selena miss their uncle."

"Alright" Jessica responded, "Have fun. Tell Rachael and Rodger and the kids I said hi."

"Of course, the kids always enjoy hearing from their Aunt Jessica."

Jessica sighed and blinked back tears. "Don't call me that. We're not married Ryan." Jessica pulled from his arms and stood from the couch. She walked up the stairs and into her room, slamming the door behind her.

Horatio suddenly appeared in the doorway with a concerned look on his face. "What happened?"

Ryan stood up from the couch, looking glum. "I don't know."  
>"What did you say to her?"<p>

"I told her Rachael's kids miss Aunt Jessica. She got pissed at me and said not to call her that because we're not married." Ryan shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't understand why it made her mad this time. Rachael's kids have been calling her that for the last four months. At Christmas Selena asked her if she and Taylor could call her Aunt Jessica. She smiled and hugged them and said she would love it if they would."  
>Horatio placed his hand on Ryan's shoulder. "Don't worry about it Ryan. She's been through a lot lately. Give her some time; she'll be back to the same old Jessica before you know it."<p>

"I hope you're right." Ryan said.

"Of course I'm right, I'm the dad." Horatio smiled at him. Ryan couldn't help but let a smile grace his face. "Thanks H."


	22. Who do you want to be?

Who do you want to be?

Ryan knocked on the door of Horatio's office. It was Monday afternoon and Horatio was working on paperwork that had been neglected in his absence. Ryan stood there for a moment with a file in his hand.

"Mr. Wolfe," Horatio said, acknowledging him, "What have you got for me today?"

Ryan nervously shuffled into the room. He stood there for a moment before he closed the door. He sat in the chair in front of Horatio's desk. His leg began to bounce and he shifted uneasily in his chair. "H, I need to talk to you about this."

"Alright," Horatio said, pushing aside the file he was working on. He held out his hand. Ryan placed the file in his hand. Horatio read the tab and knew what it was about.

"Elizabeth Renee Johnson/Caine," Horatio read, "DOB: 5/16/1982, DOD: 3/27/1996." Horatio sighed and rubbed his eyes. He was exhausted still. He knew he needed to get some work done, but knew Ryan needed him at that moment. "Alright, what do you want to know?"

Ryan took the file and flipped through it. He stopped about three quarters of the way through. He turned the file back to Horatio and pointed to the page. "This," he said, "What's this?"

Horatio looked at the page and sighed. "It's an arrest warrant for Elizabeth."

"What for?"

"Possession of illegal narcotics."

"What happened?"

Horatio sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Alright, I'll tell you."

_III_

Izzy sat in her bedroom at her new apartment. She was itchy. She was always itchy. She needed it. She thought once James was gone she would be fine. She wouldn't need to drink or shoot up anymore. That was the old Izzy. This was the new Izzy. Her name was Elizabeth Caine now. Elizabeth didn't do drugs. Elizabeth was a good kid.

Izzy walked over to her dresser. She picked up her wallet. It was empty. "Can't buy anything when you have no money," she said to herself. But she needed it. She _had_ to have it! But Elizabeth was a good kid. Elizabeth wasn't the monster that Izzy had been.

Izzy wandered down the stairs. She walked around the living room and kitchen. It was three in the morning. Her father would be asleep at this hour. She crept into his room. There was his wallet, on the dresser, the same place she put hers. Is that where she learned it? From Horatio?

She slipped into the room. She quietly crawled across the floor. Horatio stirred in his sleep. Izzy froze. He didn't wake up. She was almost there. She could get it. It was almost Christmas; he was bound to have money.

It was right there. She reached up and grabbed it. She opened it up and there was $400 in cash. Why did he have so much money? Did he actually have someone to spend it on? Izzy took it all. She put his wallet back and scurried out of the room.

Izzy pulled her boats and coat on as quick as she could. She was out the door. Running. Why did it always seem like she was running?

She knew where to find him. He was always on the corner of Main and Oak. There he was. Oh god, please let him have some!

Izzy stopped running just a few feet from him. He eyed her over.

"Whacha need?" he asked her.

"I need it." Izzy said, "I need heroin."

He looked at her leeringly. "Aren't you a bit young to be hitting the smack?"

"Do you want my money or not?"

"Fine," he said. He pulled out a baggie. There it was. It looked so delicious!

"How much?" she asked.

"$200" he answered.

Izzy pulled two hundreds out of her pocket. She shoved them towards him. He took them quickly. He checked the watermarks. When he seemed to be pleased that they were the real deal he handed her the baggie. "Nice doing business with ya" he said.

Izzy turned and ran. She didn't know where to go. She couldn't go home. Horatio would be able to smell it. He would never trust her again. Izzy couldn't let him hate Elizabeth for a mistake she made.

Lights. There were lights. Flashing lights. Blue and red lights.

Sirens. Ringing out in the night. So loud.

Voices. Voices yelling at her. Telling her to stop.

Izzy ran faster. She couldn't let them catch her. Elizabeth would get in trouble. Izzy ran. She had to get away. Couldn't let them catch her.

Then she hit the ground. Someone was on top of her, pushing her down.

"Get off me!" she sneered.

"When someone tells you to stop you stop!" the man yelled at her.

Then there were two of them. Pulling her up. One took her baggie.

"No please, I need that!" she begged.

The other clicked handcuffs around her wrist behind her back. "I'm sure you do." he said to her.

They shoved her in the back of the car. The doors didn't open from the inside. They climbed in the front.

"Alright sweetheart, why don't you tell us who you are?" one asked her from the passenger seat.

"No!" she yelled. She kicked the back of his seat.

"Knock it off!" he yelled.

Another light. This one was smaller. It shined brightly in her eyes. Izzy blinked and tried to see what was going on. It was a flashlight. He was shining it in her eyes.

"What the hell!" she yelled at them.

"Calm yourself down!" he ordered her.

Then he was staring. Staring at Izzy. "Oh my god, John I think this is Caine's daughter."

The other man turned and looked at her. "How do you know?" he asked.

"Look at those eyes."

Izzy closed her eyes. She resented her new eyes, the ones that looked like Horatio's now. Why had they changed? She had loved her green eyes.

"Well let's take her home then. See what Caine wants to do." the one named John said. He pulled the car onto the road.

"No!" Izzy yelled.

"Sorry sweetheart," the one in the passenger seat said, "We have to follow protocol."

Then they were outside her apartment now. They pulled her from the car and walked up to the door. They pounded on the door and waited. They waited. And they waited. They pounded again.

There he was. Standing there in sweatpants and a t-shirt, his hair messed up from sleeping.

"John, Brad, what's going on here?" he asked the men.

"Horatio, is this your daughter?" the other one asked.

His eyes were suddenly huge. He looked at Izzy. He wasn't believing what he was seeing, she knew it.

"Yes, that's my Izzy." he answered, "What happened?"

"She was caught buying heroin from an undercover agent." the one named John said, "She's still a minor so we thought we would bring her to you first. What do you want to do?"

Horatio looked at her. Izzy couldn't believe he was seeing this. He wouldn't know it was Izzy that had done this, not Elizabeth.

"Take her in," he said, "Take her to the jail and I'll be there in the morning."

Izzy looked at him in disbelief. "What? You're sending me to jail?"

He looked at her, his eyes never wavering. "That's what happens to people who break the law Izzy. I would have thought you would understand that by now."  
>Tears formed in Izzy's eyes. "I hate you!" she yelled, "You're the worst father ever!"<p>

Then they were pulling her away. She was back in the car. She looked at him through the window. He was standing there watching. Watching her be taken away.

"I hate you!" she yelled at him.

Horatio watched the squad car pull away from his townhouse apartment, his daughter in the backseat. She had said she hated him. He knew she didn't mean it. It was the drugs, had to be.

He went back inside and closed the door. He leaned his head against the cool wood of the door. He cried. He cried because he had let Jessica down. He promised her he would protect Izzy and he had failed her.

Horatio didn't sleep at all the rest of the night. He went down to the jail the next morning. They asked if he was posting bail and he said no. He wanted to see his daughter. They brought her to him and they met in a private room.

"Why did you do this Izzy?" he asked her.

Izzy's eyes swelled with tears. "I don't know. I just needed it."

"Izzy you said you were clean."

"I am, but something happened. I don't know how to explain it but I suddenly needed it. I _had_ to have it."

"Withdrawal can happen at any time Izzy Bug. Why didn't you come and get me?"

"Because I didn't want you to get mad at Elizabeth."

Horatio looked at her perplexed. "What do you mean?"

Izzy sank down in her chair. "Elizabeth is the good child. Izzy's the fuck up."

He knelt down in front of her chair and placed his hands on her knees. "Izzy you are anything but a fuck up. We all make mistakes and sometimes we just need to be forgiven."

Izzy looked at him as tears ran down her face. "Do you forgive me Daddy H?"

Horatio smiled and kissed her cheek. "Of course I do."

"Even if I said I hate you?"

"Yes, because you're my daughter and I know there's no way you could really hate me. I love you no matter what Elizabeth Caine."

She wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and cried into his neck. "Everything's going to be ok Izzy." he said to her soothingly.

"What do we do now?" she asked him.

"Now you plead guilty to possession charges."

Izzy shot back out of his arms. "What! I thought you said you didn't hate me!"

"I don't hate you, but you broke the law Izzy and now you have to pay the price."

"No! I'm not going to!" she walked away from him but he grabbed her arm a little too forcefully. "Ow! Stop, you're hurting me!"

"Elizabeth Renee Caine, you listen to me right now!" he pulled her close and knelt down to her level. "You are going to be convicted whether you plead guilty or not. That man you bought from was an undercover cop. You were part of a sting operation. There's no doubt that you broke the law. You can either plead guilty and get a lesser sentence or you can get yourself a state appointed attorney, because god knows I'm not paying for one after what you did, and try and fight it only to loose get a worse sentencing. Which do you want?"

Izzy stood there crying. "Will you still love me even if I go to jail?"

Horatio pulled her in and hugged her. He kissed her cheek and stroked her hair. "Izzy Bug I told you there isn't a thing in this world you could do to make me hate you."

"Fine, I'll plead guilty."

Horatio left the jail and drove to the music shop. He knew Izzy wouldn't have a need for it but he still wanted to buy her Christmas present. She had had her eye on a gold plated trumpet mouthpiece for awhile, and Horatio decided to get it for her for Christmas that year. He stood at the counter and picked out the right size through the glass. He pulled out his wallet to pay for it only to discover all his money was gone. Horatio sighed, he knew where it was.

"I'm sorry, it seems I forgot my cash at home." he said to the clerk, "I'll just come back some other time for it." The clerk smiled and placed the mouthpiece back in the display. "That's alright Officer Caine, it'll be waiting for you when you get back."

Horatio left the music shop. He knew he wouldn't be back to get the mouthpiece. Besides, Izzy had no use for it in prison.

_III_

Ryan looked at Horatio. He didn't know what to think. "Wow, so she was in prison for possession of heroin?"

"Yes, it's not something Jessica's particularly proud of."

"But it was Izzy, not Jessica, right?"

Horatio nodded his head. "Yes it was my little Izzy Bug." Horatio blinked back tears that suddenly formed. "I thought she was doing better. I couldn't believe it when Brad and John showed up on my doorstep that night. I felt like my whole world had come to an end. Here I am a single working father who just adopted my dead best friend's daughter and divorced my wife in order to keep her with me, standing there looking at her in handcuffs being told she bought heroin, something she swore she had given up. It was the hardest moment of my life."

Ryan pulled the file back over to his side of the desk. He flipped through a few more pages. "H if you don't mind can I ask you about something else?"

"Of course Ryan."

"What's this?" Ryan slid the file back to Horatio and pointed to a new page. Horatio looked it over.

"This is her plea bargain."

_III_

Horatio's phone rang. He bolted into the kitchen to answer it before the machine picked it up.

"Caine" he answered.

"Hello Officer Caine," a man's voice sounded on the other end, "This is Officer Armstrong I work at the Illinois State Woman's Facility and your daughter is requesting a meeting with you and Lieutenant Crawford. The Lieutenant says he's available to come in now and have a discussion with Elizabeth if you are."  
>"Of course, I can be there in an hour."<p>

"Alright we'll see you then."

Fifty minutes later Horatio was walking into the prison. He was directed by a guard to a private meeting room. When he entered the room Lieutenant Crawford was already seated at one of the chairs at the table. Horatio took the chair next to him. Then the guards brought in Izzy. Horatio almost didn't recognize her. Her curly blonde hair had almost straightened out and it had gotten darker. She was so much taller now and she had clearly started puberty finally. Her eyes still stuck out to Horatio. They were once olive green, her mother's color. Now they were a deep ocean blue, identical to Horatio's.

She sat in the chair across the table from them. The guards left the room. She sat there and stared at them for awhile, not speaking.

"Izzy Bug," Horatio said, finally breaking the silence, "You look like you've gotten taller."  
>Izzy nodded her head. "Another three inches in the last month alone."<p>

"How are your bones? They're not still brittle are they?"

Izzy shook her head. "No, the dietary supplements and high calcium diet they have me on are working. I haven't broken a bone since I fell and broke my wrist two months ago, and that healed just fine."

"Good, good I'm glad to hear it." Horatio said, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Elizabeth," Lieutenant Crawford said, "You said you had names you wanted to give me. Names of potential other Crip Kings?"

Izzy looked at him leeringly. "I said I wanted to make a deal. I'll give you names of guys I _know_ are Crip Kings and you give me something in return."

"Alright, what do you want?"

"My freedom."

"I'm sorry Elizabeth that's just asking too much. Your sentence is four years and you've only served three months."

Izzy looked at him as anger filled her eyes. "Then I'm not telling you anything. I'll tell them instead."  
>"Who?" Lieutenant Crawford asked.<p>

"The Bloods."

"The Bloods?"

"Yes, there's five women in my tier that are members of the Blood Brothers. Two of them are being released in the next two months. I'll tell them who the Crip Kings are and then you'll have a full blown gang war going on in the streets. Is that what you really want Lieutenant?"

Crawford looked at her, trying to gauge her words. "You wouldn't."  
>"You wanna bet?" Izzy leaned forward, her eyes narrowing, "All I have to do is say the word and bombs will be going off everywhere. You won't be able to keep up with the dead bodies strewn about the city. Do you really want to risk everything for that? Is it really worth it Lieutenant just to get elected to Sheriff?"<p>

Crawford stared at her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a notepad and a pen. "Fine, give me names."

Izzy shoved the notebook and pen off the table. "Do you really think I'm stupid? You'll take the names and run. Bring me something, something that will prove you'll let me out once I give you names."  
>"Fine, I'll have a plea bargain drawn."<br>"Do it now!" Izzy snapped, "But I want to name the conditions!"

"What do you want?" Lieutenant Crawford asked.

"I don't want to leave this place as Elizabeth Johnson. I want a new name, a new identity, and a new life." Izzy stated, "If I leave as Elizabeth they'll find me. The Crip Kings will find me and kill me for ratting them out."  
>"So you want in the Witness Protection Program?" Crawford asked.<p>

"Yes and I want Tori to come with me."  
>"I'm sorry who?"<p>

"My cellmate Tori. She's a Blood Brother but she wants to change her life, too. Let her leave with me."  
>"And how do you propose we do that?"<br>Izzy leaned forward and looked him right in the eye. "She kills me, she gets transferred somewhere else, and then kills herself at her new facility."  
>Crawford's eyes widen at the statement. "I'm sorry, what?"<p>

"That's what you tell everyone, that's what goes in our files. We can't just hide, we need to be dead. Once a brother always a brother, that's how it goes in the gang world. If everyone thinks we're dead they won't look for us. Even if you think you're getting us out in secret and no one will know they'll find out. If you say we're dead then that's it, we're gone. Kill me and I'll give you names."

Crawford sat there in shock. He was contemplating his options. "You want you and your cellmate to be released into the Witness Protection Program with new identities and you'll give me names of men you don't even know for sure are Crip Kings?"

"No! I know they're Crip Kings! The only reason they wouldn't be is if they were dead! And Tori can give you names of Blood Brothers. Just trust me, I can help you! But you have to help me! I don't want to be Elizabeth Johnson anymore!"

"Alright, we'll do it. You and Tori give me names I'll give you and your cellmate your freedom. But I'm adding a condition to this plea bargain."  
>"Alright, hit me."<p>

"If even one of these names turns out to be false then you have to return to prison."  
>Izzy's eyes narrowed and she contemplated the proposal. "Fine, if I give you even one wrong name then you can throw me and Tori back in the slammer."<p>

"Alright," Crawford said standing, "I'll go have a plea bargain drawn up and I'll be back to have you and your father sign it and then you give me names."

Lieutenant Crawford left the room. Horatio looked at his daughter. "Izzy are you sure about this? You're risking an awful lot by agreeing to this plea bargain."  
>Izzy looked at the table where her hands rested. "I'm risking a lot by staying here. They try to hurt me. They know I was a Crip King and that you're my father. I don't know how they found out but I can't stay here any longer Daddy. I'm becoming one of them and that's not who I want to be."<br>"Who do you want to be?"

Izzy lifted her eyes and looked at her father. The deep blue seemed to glisten with the tears that threatened to fall.

"Jessica," she said, "Jessica Elizabeth Stone Caine."

_III_

Ryan sat there and listened to Horatio. He shook his head. "My god, this sounds like something that happens on TV." he said, "She really agreed to that?"

"Yes, and every name Izzy and Tori gave us was indeed a member of the Crip Kings or Blood Brothers or a few of them were both. They got their freedom. Tori went to Ohio to live in Toledo with her aunt." Horatio chuckled, "Then the next year they both started college at Adrian and were reunited. Neither of them could believe it. They became best friends. Jessica can't even explain it either. She says when she's with Sami it's like they don't even have to talk, they just know what the other is going to say."  
>"Sami?" Ryan said, "You mean Sami is Tori? She was Izzy's cellmate?"<p>

Horatio smiled. "Yes, two peas in a cell they used to call themselves. No one ever understood the joke. They were ok with it though." Horatio looked at the file again. He held it out for Ryan. "Is there anything else you wanted to know?"  
>Ryan shook his head. "No, I think that answers all of my questions. Thank you Horatio."<p>

Ryan stood to leave. "Ryan," Horatio said, "Don't you want this?"

Ryan shook his head. "No, it's yours. It was nice hearing about Elizabeth but Jessica isn't that person anymore. You keep it; hold onto to what you have from your daughter." With that he left Horatio's office.

Horatio looked at the file and sighed. He opened a drawer and dropped the file in. "Sometimes I wish I didn't have to hold onto that." he said to himself.


	23. The same mistake I almost did

**Here's a random factoid- There are two different characters in this story that are based off my brother. James's physical appearance is based off him, because I was really mad at him one day so I made him the bad guy. Then Officer Davidson is a reoccurring patrol officer who's based off my brother that I created to kind of vindicate him once I was done being mad at the stupid head. Not a whole lot to Officer Davidson, but I put in what I can. I know it seems kind of childish to make my brother the bad guy, but it really helped me expel my frustration with him.**

The same mistake I almost did

Jessica sat on the couch staring at her computer. She was so close to finishing her final presentation. She had been working on it non-stop every moment she had that wasn't spent in the lab. Since she had been kidnapped she hadn't worked on it at all. She just had to write her conclusion paper, summarizing everything she had learned and then write her fifteen minute presentation. The project was due that upcoming Monday.

Jessica rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling.

"Hey sis!" Kyle said as his face appeared above her. Jessica yelped and jumped. She rolled off the couch and fell on the floor. "Oh god Jessie! I'm so sorry!" He rushed around the couch to her side. "Are you ok? Of course you're not ok I just made you fall! Oh god, what can I do to help? Oh geez you probably hate me now!"

"Kyle!" Jessica exclaimed, "I'm fine, you just scared the crap out of me, that's all." She hopped up and stretched. "See, I'm fine."

Kyle blushed and looked at the floor. "I'm sorry I was just so worried I had hurt you."

"Relax Kyle, I'm fine." She smiled at her little brother and he returned it with his own.

"What are you working on?" Kyle asked her, glancing at her computer screen.

"My final project," Jessica replied gloomily.

"Lots of work you still have to do?"  
>Jessica shook her head. "I just don't want to do it."<br>"Why not?"

"What's the point? We're born, we live, we die. There's nothing in the middle worth it anymore." Jessica shut her computer and flopped down on the couch. Kyle sighed but sat next to her.

"That's not the Jessie I know. The Jessie I know wouldn't give up on anything."  
>"Well the Jessie you know is gone. This is a new, more sensible Jessica."<p>

Kyle grabbed her shoulder and Jessica turned to look into his ocean blue Caine eyes. He had a stern look on his face and Jessica could sense discontent in his attitude. "Jessica Elizabeth Stone Caine, this is not a better Jessie. I don't care what you think but there hasn't been an improvement. The Jessica I know and love who's my sister would never let anything get her down. She would be kicking ass and taking names later. You're so close Jess, you can do this! Don't quit now!"

Jessica looked at her little brother. She turned away from him and looked at her computer. She leaned forward and picked it up. She opened it up and began typing one handed. Kyle smiled and kissed her cheek. "That's the Jessie I know."

* * *

><p>Jessica took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. They burned from staring at the computer screen for so long. She just had to finish her power point and her presentation would be done. She heard the front door open and could hear her father talking to someone. She heard him walk into the living room and stop by the couch.<p>

"Don't you ever do anything but sit around on the couch all day long?" she heard him jokingly ask her. Jessica smiled and looked at her father. "Excuse me old man but I'm working here. I'm trying to finally graduate from college after thirteen years."

Horatio smiled and leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Someone's here to see you." He gestured towards the door and Jessica could hear someone walk in. She turned to see Ryan walking in, carrying the crystal vase from their trip to the Keys with a bouquet of white roses in his left hand and a smile on his face. He had something tucked under his right arm, but Jessica couldn't make out what it was.

"Hey beautiful," he said to her, "I brought you something." He carefully sat next to her on the couch and rested the roses on her leg. Jessica touched the vase with her one good hand. She leaned forward and smelled the roses beautiful perfume. She turned and looked at him and smiled. "Thank you Ryan, they're beautiful." Ryan leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Just like you," he whispered to her.

Ryan set the vase on the coffee table and reached into his pocket. "I thought you would like a little something from home." He held out his hand and in it was the key necklace he had given her for Christmas. Jessica smiled and lightly touched it.

"Only if you put it on me." She said to him.

Ryan unclasped the necklace and reached around her neck. He fastened the clasp behind her head on top of her cascade of hair. He gently pulled her hair out from under the chain and laid it across her shoulders. Jessica fiddled with the key with her good hand and smiled.

"I also thought you might like this." Ryan pulled out the white hoodie that had been hidden under his arm. He laid it across their legs and Jessica smiled. It was Ryan's Florida State Police Academy hoodie, one of his favorites and the one Jessica enjoyed cuddling up in after a long day.

"But this isn't mine." She said to him playfully.

"But you wear it more than me most days." He said quietly to her, nuzzling her neck. "I thought you would like something comfy to wear."

Jessica smiled and leaned into Ryan's shoulders. "Thank you Ryan, this means so much to me."

"You're welcome, love. I was hoping to brighten your day. Not having you at home is weird. I've had to cook for myself for six weeks now."  
>"That explains why you look so thin," Jessica joked. Ryan smiled and carefully pulled Jessica onto his lap. He kissed the back of her neck and gently ran his hands down her sides.<p>

"I miss you Jessie," he said to her. Jessica could feel Ryan's tears forming against her neck. "Please, come home. The apartment is so empty without you. I feel like there's nothing in my life anymore. I need you, Jessica. Please, come home to me."

Jessica sat there in Ryan's arms. Her heart ached and she felt her own tears form in her eyes. "I'm not sure, Ryan. I'm not ready."

"Jessica you don't have anything to be afraid of. You know I won't hurt you. James is back in Illinois by now, there's nothing to be afraid of. You're safe now. I'll always protect you."  
>"Ryan I'm sorry," Jessica said, standing from the couch, walking away, "I'm not ready."<p>

Ryan stood from the couch and walked towards her. "Then when are you going to be ready?"

"I don't know!" Jessica exclaimed, "It's not like this is something I can control, ok?"

Ryan stood there looking disappointed. "I'm sorry Jessie, I didn't mean to upset you. It just hurts me to see you like this and to be so far away from you when we're sitting in the same room." Ryan looked at her with a concerned look on her face. "Jess, have you considered going to a therapist? I think you need to talk to someone about this."  
>Jessica turned and looked at him with fire in her eyes. Ryan could see a ring of green around her pupils. "No Ryan, I don't want to talk to anyone! No one understands what I'm going through!"<p>

"Jessica please," Ryan advanced towards her, "You need help, trust me, I've been there before."  
>"No you haven't Ryan! You had a gambling problem. I was kidnapped, tortured, and raped!"<p>

"Oh please, like you're the only one that's ever been abducted before!" Ryan yelled at her. He grabbed her good arm and pulled her towards him. "Do you know what happened to me last year? I was kidnapped by a Russian gang and tortured for seven hours! They only let me go when I agreed to compromise evidence in a case that was about to open. If I didn't they were going to kill one of my friend's son. I had to compromise evidence to keep him alive.

"Yeah, seven hours of torture is a lot shorter than three days, but I've been there Jessica. I know what you're going through. I didn't get that time to heal and rest like you have right now. I was thrown into another situation. I didn't think I needed anyone either but after two months I needed to talk to someone. I went back to Dr. Thompson and we talked about it. I felt so much better afterwards." A single tear rolled down his cheek. "Jessica, please get help. You might think you don't need it but you do. I can't stand watching you in pain. Please help yourself."

Jessica looked at him and pulled her arm away. She walked out of the room and went to her room. Ryan stood there looking defeated. Horatio walked over to him and held his shoulder.

"I'm sorry Ryan, her mother was the same way. Jessabelle needed help, but would refuse it." he said to Ryan, "Stubborn as the day is long. I'll talk to her. Maybe hearing it from someone else will drive the point home."

Ryan nodded his head. "Yeah, I just don't want her to make the same mistake I almost did."

* * *

><p>Jessica locked the door to her room. She felt the necklace around her neck. She fiddled with the key charm. She wrapped her fingers around it. She yanked on the chain and felt it break against her neck. She threw it to the floor and walked away from it.<p>

Jessica knelt beside the bed and reached under it. She felt the cool glass of the bottle. She pulled it out and looked at the label. It was a bottle of peppermint schnapps she had taken from her father's liqueur cabinet. Horatio thought he had it locked so no one could get it in, but Jessica knew ways to pick any lock she could find.

She uncapped the bottle and sniffed the contents. The wonderful sweet scent of mint and sharp cutting smell of the alcohol filled her lungs. Jessica lifted the bottle and took a drink. She held it in her hand and looked at it. It was only two-thirds full. She wondered if Horatio had realized it was gone, but then again her father drank about as infrequently as her. The schnapps was probably intended for a recipe.

Jessica sat there on the floor drinking from the bottle. She felt the alcohol start to take affect and her body began to relax. She picked up the bottle of pain killers and swallowed two and washed them down with more schnapps.

She recapped the bottle and slid it under her bed. Jessica crawled up into her bed and laid there. She felt the alcohol and pain killers overcome her body. Her eyes drifted shut as a dreamless sleep took her away.

* * *

><p>Horatio pounded on Jessica's door. "Jessica?" he yelled through the wood. He was getting ready to leave for work and he hadn't seen his daughter since she locked herself in her room after Ryan's visit. He was worried about her. She had been so upset with Ryan's suggestion of therapy.<p>

"Jessica!" Horatio yelled again. He couldn't wait any longer. He pulled out his keys and unlocked the door. There was a pungent smell lingering in the room. Horatio could see Jessica lying in the bed, her face buried into a pillow.

"Jessie Bug, are you awake?" Jessica didn't say anything. Horatio walked over to the bed and touched her arm. She rolled over and looked at him, her face streaked with tears. "Jessie Bug, what's wrong?" Horatio asked.

Jessica shook her head and looked away. "Why didn't you answer the door?" he asked. Jessica finally looked at him, her eyes full of shame. "I didn't want you to find out," she whispered. "Find out what?" Horatio asked. He went to sit on the bed but Jessica held up her hand and pushed him back. "Don't!" she exclaimed.

"Jessie Bug, what's going on?" Horatio asked again.

Jessica started crying again and pulled back the comfort. The evident smell of urine wafted over Horatio and he could see the blankets were wet. He looked at his daughter and saw the shame on her face. "I wet the bed."


	24. Fun in the Sun

Fun in the Sun

Horatio walked into the crime lab two hours later. He didn't want to leave his daughter at home without cleaning up and helping her. Jessica had been so ashamed of herself for peeing in her sleep that Horatio couldn't leave her in that state.

Horatio walked into one of the labs to find Calleigh and Ryan looking over evidence from a case that morning. Calleigh smiled at him when he walked in. "Well hey there good lookin', how's the baby?" she asked him.

Horatio rubbed his eyes and sighed. "I thought she was doing better, but something's happened. Kyle's taking her to the hospital for her weekly check up. I gave him my credit card and told him to take her to do something fun afterwards. She needs to get out of that house. She was locked up in the hospital for four weeks and she hasn't left my house in two weeks. She needs to get back out in the world, interact with someone other than Kyle and me. He's leaving tomorrow and then she'll be all alone in the house."

Horatio leaned his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands. "I can't take anymore time off work. I can't stay with her all the time. I need her to move on with her life." They could hear the slight crack in Horatio's voice. "I just wish I could fix everything. I don't know what to do to make her stop hurting. I feel like she doesn't want to get better though."

He lifted his head and looked at Calleigh. His eyes were red and he looked like he was in pain. "Am I a terrible father for wishing my daughter would just get over it? I feel like she's stuck and doesn't know what to do. I'm exhausted but I can't keep living this way. She's almost twenty-eight years old and she's acting like she's six. She cries when I leave, she begs me to let her sleep in my bed with me, she doesn't want to leave the house. She won't listen to anyone. She needs help and she refuses to get it. What can I do? "

"Just give her some time." Calleigh said, "She'll be back to normal in no time.

"I'm done giving her time." Horatio said, "That's what the doctors told me to do with Izzy. Give her time and she'll come back around. I tried that and Izzy never came back around. She stole my money and used it to buy heroin and got herself thrown in prison. I can't let that happen to Jessica. I don't know what to do anymore. I've failed Jessabelle. I've been a terrible father for our daughter."

Ryan walked around the table to Horatio. He grasped his shoulder and looked into his eyes.

"No you haven't." he said, "You have been the best father Jessica could have asked for. You're in a rough patch. She doesn't need time. She needs a kick in the ass, and I don't know anyone who's better at kicking people in the ass than Horatio Caine. You've been caring and understanding, but it's gone too far. She was kidnapped six weeks ago. I know this is a difficult thing for her to go through, but like you said it's time she went back out into the world. Make her go home to her condo. Tell her she can call you if she needs to but she needs to sleep on her own. If you don't do something now she won't be able to heal."

Horatio stood there digesting Ryan's words. "You're right, she needs to leave. It's just like when she was fifteen. She begged me not to send her to Michigan on her own, but I knew she wouldn't be able to grow if I went with her."

"Jessica's not a child anymore, she's an adult."

"I just feel like I'm abandoning my baby girl."

"You're not. She'll always be your daughter no matter what. She'll always need you. But right now she needs you to let her go. Give her that kick in the ass and send her packing."

Horatio looked into Ryan's caring, comforting eyes. "Alright, she's going to hate me but I'm moving her back home tomorrow. I'll let her stay tonight, but that's it."

Ryan smiled and pulled his boss in for a hug. Horatio returned the embrace and held Ryan close. "Sometimes I wish I had had a father like you, Horatio." Ryan said, "Caring when you need him but tough as nails on you all the time."

Horatio smiled. He knew what he wanted to say in response but knew it wasn't the right time for that.

* * *

><p>Jessica looked out the window of Horatio's blue Jeep. Kyle was driving her home from the hospital. Alexx had cleared her to stop wearing the sling but told her she still had to go easy on her arm. "In two weeks we're going in and taking out that hardware." She had said, "For now try using it to do simple tasks. You need to build the muscles back up and get the joint moving."<p>

Jessica watched as the scenery flew by. When the Jeep stopped did she realize something wasn't right. They were at the pier. Jessica could see hundreds of people running down the boardwalk and families laughing and having fun.

"Kyle, what are we doing here?" Jessica asked, feeling slightly panicked.

"Dad said to go have some fun." Kyle explained, "He said we needed to spend some time together away from the house before I left tomorrow."

"But I don't want to go here."  
>"Oh please, where's the Jessica I know with the mean curve ball that wins skee ball every time?"<p>

Kyle climbed out of the Jeep and walked around to Jessica's door. He opened it and waited for her to climb down. When she didn't move Kyle spoke again. "Are you going to get out or are you going to stay here? Because if you're staying I'll forewarn you I'm not rolling down the windows."

Jessica jumped from the Jeep and took a few steps. She looked across the vast area the pier covered and felt herself become anxious. Kyle stood next to her and slipped his hand into her injured one. He intertwined their fingers and just stood there with her.

"Everything will be ok." Kyle said, "I'm here and I would never let anyone hurt you."

Jessica took a deep breath and started walking. She and Kyle slowly explored the pier carnival, looking at the games and vendors. Jessica jumped a few times when something surprised her and ducked when they walked pass a shooting game.

"Are you doing ok?" Kyle asked.

Jessica didn't speak right away. "Yes, I think I'm doing fine."

"Good, because we're going to have a lot of fun." He held up Horatio's credit card and gave her a mischievous smile. Jessica smiled back and laughed at her little brother.

They walked over to the skee ball game. "Let's start with something simple," Kyle said. He popped in a few quarters and hit the button. The balls released into the shoot and Kyle stepped back. Jessica looked at him confused.

"Aren't you going to play?" she asked him.

Kyle shook his head. "Hell no, I'm no good at this game. Let the master teach the student."

Jessica walked up to the game and looked at it. She reached down and grabbed one of the balls. She stood there looking at it in her hand for a moment. She set herself up and pulled her arm back. She threw her arm forward and the ball flew up the ramp. It hit the bumper and bounced up to the 10,000 point hole. Jessica smiled and watched as her score blinked. She grabbed the next ball and threw another 10,000 points.

Again and again Jessica threw the balls until there were none left. When she was done she had a prefect score of 200,000. Tickets came pouring out of the machine. Jessica smiled and collected her tickets. Kyle nudged her and gestured to a kid standing at the next game over. He was star struck, watching Jessica's score flash.

"Wow, you must have enough to get the giant stuffed shark!" he exclaimed.

Jessica smiled at the small child and walked over to him. She knelt down to the ground and looked at him. His hair was brown and his eyes were hazel. Besides the missing front teeth and long shaggy hair he looked like a miniature version of Ryan.

"How many do you need for the shark?" she asked him.

"700 tickets" the small boy said.

Jessica counted her tickets. "Well I only got thirty." Her eyes seemed to glow. "I guess we're going to have to play a few more rounds." The small boy smiled at her and nodded his head.

Kyle ran and got more quarters while Jessica and the small boy played. She taught him just where to throw the ball to get the high score every time. Soon the boy was scoring 200,000 points every game, too. After an hour Kyle counted up their tickets. Jessica had 540 and the boy had 230. Jessica smiled and leaned down with her tickets.

"Here, go get that shark. Give him a good home and someone to love him." she said.

The boy's eyes lit up and a giant smile spread across his face. "Really! Thanks lady!"

"You're welcome. My name's Jessica, by the way."

"My name's Ryan, Ryan Wilson!" the boy proudly declared. Jessica's eyes softened as she handed him the tickets. "Well Ryan I hope you like your shark." The boy smiled at her as he accepted the tickets. "I was going to name him Bruce, but I think I want to name him Jessica now!" Jessica smiled. She pulled the tiny Ryan into her and gave him a hug. "I think I would like that very much Ryan. Now go get that shark before someone else does!"

The small Ryan ran away towards the prize tent. Jessica stood up and watched him leave. Kyle appeared at her side. He took her hand and she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Do you think it's a sign?" he asked.

Jessica smiled. "If not it's a really freaky coincidence."

They played a few more games over the next two hours. They never saw the small Ryan again and when they walked past the prize shack the giant stuffed shark was still there. "Maybe he decided on something different." Kyle suggested. "I hope not," Jessica responded, "He seemed really excited about that shark."

After riding the Ferris wheel they finally decided to leave. They walked to the prize shack to see what they could get. That's when Jessica saw the tiny Ryan. He was waiting for the man to finishing adding up his tickets when he noticed Jessica.

"Jessica!" he exclaimed, "I'm getting the shark finally!"

"Yeah? How long have you been trying to win that thing?"

"Six weeks, I saw it then but I couldn't get it. I haven't been back since then and now I'm finally taking it home!"

Jessica smiled at the small Ryan. "Well I'm glad I could help."

The man grabbed the shark and handed it to tiny Ryan. It was as tall as him and he hugged it close. "I'm never letting Jessica go! I love her so much!" He ran to Jessica and hugged her legs. "Thank you for helping me win her!" He ran from the building and Jessica felt her heart swell.

Kyle leaned into his sister's ear and whispered. "I still think it's a sign."

Jessica turned and smiled at her brother. "I think you're definitely right little bro."

After the pier Kyle drove into town and they went shopping. Jessica bought two pairs of jeans and three shirts that all scooped down her back, showing off her tattoo.

"Wow, that's an incredible tattoo." A woman said that was passing by. "That must have hurt like hell and cost a pretty penny."

Jessica smiled and looked at her. "It did, but I think it was worth it. I believe sometimes you have to endure the worst pain to get the best results."

The woman smiled and her hazel eyes seemed to sparkle. "I think that's the best life philosophy I've ever heard."

"Thank you" Jessica said in response.

They rode home together smiling and laughing. They pulled into the garage to see Horatio was already home. "Wow, Dad must have gotten off early." Kyle commented, "Doesn't your shift usually end in an hour?"

"Yeah, must have been a slow day." Jessica said. She grabbed their bags from the store and Kyle collected their matching stuffed pandas they won at the pier.

They walked into the house to find Horatio carrying suitcases down the stairs. Jessica stopped and stared. One was Kyle's but the other was Jessica's from her condo.

"Dad, what's going on?" Jessica asked.

Horatio turned and looked at her. He was pale and had dark circles under his eyes. Jessica had never seen her father look so old. "Jessica I want you to go home tomorrow." He said, "I want you to move back into your condo. It's been nice having you here after you were gone for so long, but its time you left."

"You're kicking me out?" Jessica asked a little hurt.

Horatio shook his head. "No Bug, I'm sending you home. You need to go home and be yourself. I can't keep you here babying you anymore. You're an adult, you need your space."

"But why would you kick me out like this? I thought you wanted to help me."

"You don't need him anymore." She heard someone say from up the stairs. Ryan slowly walked down the steps with Jessica's duffle bag hanging on his shoulder. "Jessie Belle if you stay here you're going to be stuck in the same old rut." Ryan said, "You need to leave. I know you love your father and he loves you but you need to get away so you can grow."

Ryan looked at her longingly. "I miss you, love. I miss the time we spent together and working with you in the lab. I searched too long for the other part of my soul to loose you now. You're not the same Jessica as you were before. The old Jessica would be beating the shit out of me right now for saying these things. The old Jessica would be racing me to the car to load her stuff." Ryan couldn't help but smirk and chuckle. "The old Jessica would be fucking me so hard right now I would think my brain is going to explode. I want the old Jessica back. Not this new scared, intimidated Jessica."

Ryan set down the duffle back and walked to Jessica. "The old Jessica wouldn't have broken my heart." He said as he opened his hand to reveal the key necklace with the broken chain. "Please go back home Jess. I love you and I can't stand sitting here watching you waste your life away. I need the old Jessica right now. She would now how to comfort me." A single tear rolled down Ryan's cheek. Jessica reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. She brushed the tear away with her thumb and looked into his eyes.

"Will you be there?" she whispered.

"Only if you want me," Ryan said.

"You don't have to leave tonight Jessie." Horatio said, "In fact I was hoping you would stay tonight and we could have one more daddy-daughter movie night." Horatio smiled at her and stood next to Ryan.

Jessica blinked back tears for a moment and looked at them. "Alright, I'll go home tomorrow."

Horatio smiled and pulled her into his arms. "I love you, Bug, its just time-"

"For the caterpillar to become a butterfly again," Jessica said.

Horatio pulled back and looked at her. "Why don't you and Kyle go clean up and the four of us will go out for dinner. My treat; that is if there's still money left on my card."

Jessica smiled and rolled her eyes. "Why do you always think I spent all your money?"

"Because you're just like your mother," Horatio said, kissing her forehead. "Now go or Ryan and I will leave without you two."

Jessica looked at Kyle and smiled. "Race you upstairs little bro!" she said as she took off.

"Oh come on, you got a head start!" Kyle argued, running after her.

"What did the army not teach you to always anticipate your enemy's next move?"

"You're not my enemy!"

Horatio stood there and laughed. He turned to Ryan and smiled. "Thank you Mr. Wolfe, I think you may have helped surface the old Jessie."  
>Ryan returned the smile. "Glad I could help. I'm going to head out then."<br>"Nope, I said the four of us, which includes you. Besides if they don't come back then I'll be stuck eating alone."

Ryan smiled and shook his head. "I guess I can't argue that logic." He looked at his boss. "Thanks H, for everything."

"Mr. Wolfe I would do anything to make my daughter happy. If that includes letting her be with you then so be it. Besides, I don't think I would actually be able to pry Jessica off of you. She seems to love you very much. Even if she hasn't told you lately, I know she does."  
>"Really?" Ryan asked.<p>

"Yes, very much so."


	25. Remembering

Remembering

Jessica was in her condo again. Kyle and Horatio had dropped off her stuff that morning and then all three of them left to take Kyle to the airport. Jessica hugged her little brother and he kissed her cheek. "Everything's going to be ok, Jess." He had said, "You're going to finish your project, graduate college, and marry Ryan." Jessica rolled her eyes. "Why does everyone keep saying that?" she asked. "Maybe it's true. Maybe you should consider it." Kyle answered with a wink. Jessica tousled his brother's hair. "I hope you remembered to take Pong." She said, referring to Kyle's panda. "I sure did, and don't forget to take care of Ping."

Jessica sat at her studio computer. She was playing with her tablet, doodling pictures on her computer. She looked at her sketch pad on the desk and picked it up. She flipped through it for awhile until she stopped at a picture she had drawn a year ago. It was a picture of a bull. It was running and there were stars and dragonflies flying around it. She examined it closely. The bull was supposed to be running and it had one leg out further than the other. Jessica had considered getting it tattooed on her arm or leg but wasn't sure if she really wanted to do that.

Then she got an idea. Jessica flipped to a new page and began drawing. It didn't take long and within an hour she had a lion running in the opposite direction with stars and dragonflies all around it.

She powered up her scanner and scanned both pictures into her computer. She photo shopped them together so they were running around each other, like a ying-yang symbol. Something was missing though. Jessica googled astronomy symbols and found a chart online. Between the bull and lion she inserted a justice scale that she had quickly drawn, so that it was the center.

Jessica leaned back and looked at her creation. She loved it. She scaled it down and printed a copy. Jessica snatched the paper from the printer and powered down her studio.

Jessica walked into her bedroom and picked up one of the bags from her shopping trip with Kyle. She pulled on a new pair of jeans and pulled off her shirt. She walked over to the mirror and looked at herself. Then jeans were really low cut and the top of her panties were actually peeking out. She looked so skinny now, she actually had ribs showing. She had lost so much weight from loosing the baby and being starved, and she lost some massive muscle tone from not working out.

Jessica carefully lifted her left arm and looked at her side. The nasty grim reaper burn mark was still there. Alexx had done her best to fix it, but without plastic surgery it would be there for the rest of Jessica's life. Horatio had opted out of the surgery because Jessica's body was already so badly damaged that he felt one less thing to heal was a better idea. Jessica reluctantly had agreed at the time. She was in so much pain she didn't even want to think of more surgery.

Jessica pulled on one of her new shirts and walked into the bathroom. She hadn't brushed her hair that day and knew it was a mess. Jessica looked long and hard at her long waves. She carefully brushed them and stood there in front of the mirror.

Jessica walked out of the complex and to the parking lot. She climbed into Horatio's Jeep he had leant her for the day. Her Audi wasn't being released from evidence until that afternoon and Horatio didn't want her being without a car in case she needed to go somewhere.

She drove down the street and into downtown. She quickly located her destination and pulled into the parking lot. She hopped out and walked into the little shop.

Paul smiled when he saw Jessica walking in. He hadn't seen her in forever.

"Hey Jess, what brings you here?" he greeted her.

"Hey Paulie, still moonlighting I see."

"Well the bar tending business is just a supplement. I'm not making as much here as I used to. What can I do for you today?"

"I want this." Jessica said, placing the picture on the counter.

"Hey that's pretty sweet. Maybe you should come work for Joe."  
>Jessica smiled. "Sorry Paulie, but I think I'm good. I didn't go to college for thirteen years to work in a tattoo parlor."<p>

Paul chuckled and smiled at her. "Well I guess that's a good excuse. Where do you want it?"

Jessica lifted her shirt and ran her hand down the burn mark. "Can I get it here?"

Paul stared at the grim reaper. Jessica knew he knew she had been kidnapped and tortured. The expression on his face showed the burn marks must have really sunk the idea in. "Yeah, I think I can do that."  
>"It'll cover the burns, right?" Jessica asked.<p>

Paul walked around the counter. He gently ran his hands over the grim reaper. "Yeah you should be good. It's not upraised or anything so there won't be any bumps in the design. This is fully healed, right?"

"Should be, I got that almost six weeks ago."

"Then yeah, you should be fine. I might have to darken some of the colors from your design to hide it, but I can do it. Can you give me an hour to make a template?"

Jessica lowered her shirt and smiled. "For you Paul I can do that."

* * *

><p>Jessica walked into the salon. There were a few women waiting and the chairs were all full of women getting their haircut. Jessica walked up to the counter and waited.<p>

"Hey Jessie Boo," a bubbly short black woman said, stepping away from her finished client. "What can I do for you? I didn't think you had an appointment today." She flipped through the appointment book by the register.

"Sorry Kristine but I don't have an appointment." Jessica said, "I was out running some errands and I thought I would drop by and see if I could snag a spot."

"Well of course!" Kristine exclaimed, "Anything for the amazing Dr. Caine! I've got one girlie ahead of you and then I can get you in before my next one gets here in an hour."

"Great!" Jessica smiled, "I'll just wait over here."

Twenty minutes later Jessica was having her hair washed by Kristine as she chatted away about her kids. "Oh Matthew is just a little pistol right now! Let me tell you girlie they say terrible twos but it should really be the terrible threes! Remember that whenever you and that Ryan guy shack up and have your own midgets!"  
>Jessica groaned. "Why is it everyone thinks I'm going to marry Ryan?"<p>

"Well Jessie Boo let me start off with any man that's willing to get his hair cut here and wait for his girl to get hers finished is one worth keeping, especially one with locks like yours. My god, there's enough here to make a sweater for some poor hairless sheep!" Kristine joked, "And that boy is a cutie puttee! Mmmhhh! He is one fine looking young man! And the way he looks at you, it's like all he sees is you. Now that's true love!"

Kristine led Jessica from the sink to another chair. Kristine toweled her off and started combing through her hair. "So what are we doing today baby cakes?"

"Chop it," Jessica said.

Kristine stopped dead in her tracks. "What did you say?"

"I said to chop it. I want it about here?" Jessica said, placing her hand by her neck between her chin and shoulders.

"Are you sure?"

Jessica nodded her head. "I'm tried of it. I want something different. Besides, it's hair it'll grow back."  
>"Especially with your Caine blood. I swear every other day my husband's telling me your father was in getting his haircut at his barber shop. Lieutenant never comes to see me though. Little hornswagger! Thinks he's too good for the beauty shop!" Jessica laughed as Kristine continued to rant about her father and his inability to come to her shop. "I mean my husband and I charge almost the same prices and do the same damn thing! I'd even give him a discount if he actually came here. Alone though, none of this you dragging him in. No way, that would be cheating!"<p>

Kristine held a section of Jessica's hair in between her fingers she slid them to the spot Jessica had indicted. "Now you're sure about this baby? You don't want anymore length?"

"No, chop it Kristine."  
>"Well if you're going to talk like that I'll send you over to my husband. I don't chop hair here, I cut and style it."<p>

"Oh shut it Kristine and cut it all ready!"

"Ok fine," Kristine said picking up her scissors, "You got your daddy's sass, that's for sure."

* * *

><p>Jessica walked back into Inked Lifestyles. Paul was finishing piercing a woman's nose and smiled when he saw her.<p>

"Hey Jess, I like the hair!" he said, "You look like one hot momma!"

Jessica couldn't help but blush. "Thanks Paul."  
>"I'm almost done here. The template's on the counter if you want to check it out."<br>Jessica walked up to the counter and looked at the template. Paul had left the picture as it was but had simply copied it onto the tattoo paper. "It looks great!" Jessica said.

"Good, you can get set up in that chair if you want and I'll be with you in a second."

Jessica walked around the counter and over to the chair Paul had indicated. She pulled off her shirt and set it on top of her purse on the floor. She took the liberty of adjusting the chair so she could lay down on her side in it. Paul walked over and washed his hands. He pulled on a pair of gloves. He grabbed a bottle of rubbing alcohol and started cleaning Jessica's skin.

"So what brought on this?" he asked her, referring to the picture.

"It's me and Ryan and our baby." Jessica explained.

Paul stopped and looked at her. "You're pregnant?"

Jessica slowly shook her head. "Not anymore, James killed it six weeks ago."

"Oh Jess I'm so sorry."  
>"It's ok, it's not your fault." Jessica paused for a moment. "Dr. Tom said she had Downs syndrome and fetal alcohol syndrome. He said it wasn't my fault though. He thinks I must have drank something before I knew I was pregnant. He said drinking how little I did doesn't always affect babies but it might have been a freak thing with her already having Downs."<p>

"I'm so sorry Jessica." Paul said again as he laid the template out.

"Ryan's right though, I need to move on now. Shit happens, then we get over it and move on with our lives."  
>"Well I think you found a pretty interesting way to move on." Paul smiled as he picked up his gun. "You sure about this?"<p>

"Of course I am." Jessica responded. Paul turned on his gun and carefully started the outline.

* * *

><p>Walter walked through the lab. He was dreading having to tell Horatio what he had discovered. He found Horatio in Ryan's lab looking over tire treads.<p>

"H," Walter said, "I've got some….bad news."  
>Horatio looked at him concerned. "What is it?"<p>

"Well Jesse and I were working on releasing all the evidence from Jessica's case and when I went down to the auto impound….well they told me Jessica's Audi isn't there anymore."

Horatio was confused. "What? What do they mean it's not there?"

"Well they said it had been checked out two weeks ago."  
>"By who?" Horatio asked. He turned and looked at Ryan. "Whoa, no way!" Ryan said, "I know better than to release evidence until the case is done. Besides I don't think they would have released it to me even if I asked since I was so personally involved in the case."<p>

"They wouldn't tell me who checked it out." Walter explained, "I asked to see the sign out chart but they refused. They said I had to have my supervisor give it to me."  
>"My god," Horatio exclaimed pulling his cell phone out, "If someone stole it I'm going to be pissed! That was Jessica's graduation present from Penn State from Marisol and me."<br>"You gave her an Audi?" Walter asked, "Damn, my mom baked me a cake."

"Ryan you finish up here." Horatio said, "I'm going to talk to the impound staff and make some calls. I'm glad Marisol talked me into getting theft insurance on it. At least my baby can get it replaced."

* * *

><p>Ryan pulled into his apartment parking lot. He could see Horatio's blue Jeep that Jessica was driving until she got her car back. He was surprised to see it. He jumped out of his car and practically ran to the door. He unlocked it and walked in. A delicious smell filled his apartment. Ryan followed his nose to the kitchen.<p>

He stopped in the doorway confused. Standing at the stove was a skinny young woman with short, straight blonde hair that was cut into a shaggy style. She was shirtless wearing low cut jeans and a light blue bra that had pink lace on the cups and polka dots. Ryan recognized the bra from Jessica's clothes because he had thrown it over his shoulder so many times in a horny haste.

"Jess?" he said, walking into the kitchen. The woman turned and looked at him. Ryan recognized the deep ocean blue eyes set in her face. Ryan smiled and walked over to her. He gently kissed her forehead and looked at her.

"You hate it, don't you?" she asked.

Ryan shook his head. "No Jessie, I think your hair looks adorable. It's just so different." He ran his fingers through it and let it fall from his hands. "It's so short." He tousled her hair and smiled. "I love it!"

A small smile grace Jessica's face. "What about this?" She turned and lifted her left arm. A large tattoo was sprawled down her side. It was a bull and a lion that looked like they were trying to run around each other. Between them sat a justice scale. Stars and dragonflies swirled around them. The tattoo was still covered in plastic wrap and looked like it had just been finished mere hours before Ryan arrived home.

"That's incredible." Ryan said as he admired it, "Are you going to explain this one to me?"

Jessica sighed. "The bull represents me, my astrological sign it Taurus. You're the lion, because you're a Leo. The stars and dragonflies are kind of there because I think they look cool."  
>"What about the scales?"<p>

Jessica's eyes misted over. "Our baby, she would have been a Libra."

Ryan pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "I love you Jessica."

"Paul had to use darker ink than what I used when I designed it. He wanted to make sure it covered the burn marks."

Ryan looked at her. "That's where James burned you, isn't it?"

Jessica rubbed her eyes and nodded her head. "I wanted him to be gone. I'm not going to let him control my life ever again."  
>Ryan kissed her forehead again. "That's the Jessie I know."<p>

* * *

><p>They ate the crab cakes Jessica had made for dinner. Ryan couldn't help but moaned when he tasted them. "Oh my god you're such a good cook!" he exclaimed, "I swear I didn't know what good food was before I met you!"<p>

Jessica smile shyly. "Thank you" she said.

After dinner Ryan cleaned up the kitchen while Jessica wandered into the living room. She laid down on the couch and let her thoughts wander. Ryan walked in and sat down next to her head.

"What are you thinking about it?" he asked.

Jessica smiled and chuckled. "This is where we first had sex. Just like couple of teenagers, fucking on the couch."

Ryan chuckled and ran his fingers through her hair. "You're so wonderful."

Jessica jumped off the couch and grabbed his hands, pulling him up. "Come on, I need you to put that balm stuff on my tat."

Ryan laughed and let her pull him up. "What the amazing Dr. Stone-Caine can't do it herself?"

"I can but I thought you would like to help" she said seductively. Ryan smiled and gave her a playful look.

They walked up to Ryan's bedroom. Jessica pulled her tub of balm out of her duffle bag she had brought with her to Ryan's apartment. She handed it to Ryan and looked into his eyes. "Ryan, I'm going to tell you right now I don't know how far I'm ready to go tonight."

Ryan smiled and kissed her cheek. "Where are we going? I thought I was just going to rub some balm on your tattoo." He teased her.

"You know what I mean." Jessica playfully nudged him onto the edge of the bed. "Now, feel me up!" she lifted her arm and Ryan laughed.

Ryan carefully pulled the plastic off and looked at the tattoo. "That must have hurt," he commented. "Not as much as what was there," Jessica said.

"Don't talk about that." Ryan said, "Tonight is about us and no one else."

Ryan rubbed his balm coated fingers across the colorful tattoo. He could feel Jessica's ribs and how skinny she had become. He ran his hand over her torso and stopped at her lower abdomen. Ryan pressed his hands against the muscle. There was nothing there. Ryan knew there wouldn't be anything. It was out of habit that his hands rested there.

Ryan wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled Jessica against his body. He kissed her abdomen and rested his forehead there. Jessica ran her fingers through his hair.

"Thank you Ryan," Jessica said, "For everything you've done for me these last eight months."

Jessica knelt down on her knees between Ryan's legs. She ran her nails up and down his inner thighs. Ryan watched her, enjoying her touch. Her hands rested on his hips as she seemed to be considering what to do next. She carefully unbuttoned his jeans and pulled down his zipper. Jessica slid her hands inside his pants and gently touched him. Ryan felt himself grow stiff and started breathing heavier.

"Jess, you don't have to do this," Ryan said.

"I want to Ryan. I want to try this. Please trust me." Jessica said, "I'll tell you if I want to stop, ok?"

Ryan placed his hand on her cheek and looked at her. "Alright love, I'll trust you."

Jessica continued feeling Ryan inside his pants. Ryan could feel the blood slowly flowing to his groin, but he was nervous and worried about Jessica.

Jessica reached up and tugged at the waistline of Ryan's jeans. Ryan smiled and lifted his hips. She pulled his jeans and boxers down slowly. She looked at his forming erection. He wasn't as hard as he normally would have been. Jessica could sense how uneasy he still felt. "Everything's going to be fine Ryan." She said, pulling his pants and boxers down over his feet. "I promise, I just want to try." Ryan touched her cheek and looked into her eyes. "I trust you Jess, I can't help it, I'm nervous."

Jessica dragged her nails along the inside of Ryan's thighs. He moaned lightly and tried to relax. Jessica tentatively began touching him. She ran her fingertips from the base of his cock all the way up to the head. She brushed her thumb across his head and Ryan moaned again, a little louder this time.

Jessica leaned in and kissed the inside of his thighs. She kissed all the way around his member from thigh to thigh and back again. She looked at his penis and took a deep breathe. Jessica leaned in and lightly kissed the base of his shaft. She trailed kisses all the way up and back down. She flattened her tongue and ran it all the way up Ryan's shaft along the massive vein that ran along the bottom. She could feel his heart beating heavily but he still wasn't very hard.

Jessica ran her tongue along the crown of Ryan's head and he gasped. Jessica slowly took his head into her mouth and sucked lightly. Ryan let out a long, needy moan and arched his back. Jessica smiled at him when he looked down at her. "You liked that, didn't you?" she asked him. Ryan looked at her, his eyes glistening with desire. "God you drive me crazy sometimes." Jessica smiled at him again and took his head back in her mouth.

Jessica began working her way down, taking more of Ryan's length in her mouth. She started sucking deeper and ran her tongue along the underside vein. Ryan started moaning louder and felt his breath hitch in his throat when Jessica wrapped her tongue around his head.

"Oh god Jessica," Ryan moaned. He ran his hand through her hair. He grasped a handful of her hair and gently pulled.

Then he was screaming. There was pain shooting through his body. Ryan screamed as tears formed in his eyes. His grip on Jessica's hair tightened as he clenched his fist in pain. He screamed. He didn't know where the pain was coming from.

Jessica released Ryan from her mouth and tried to reel back, but Ryan still had a death grip on her hair and Jessica fell down at his feet. She started crying and tried to get away.

"I'm sorry!" she cried, "I'm sorry James! I didn't mean to! I'm sorry!"

Ryan was finally able to let go of her hair. Jessica shot up and ran into the bathroom. Ryan could hear her vomiting. Ryan doubled over in pain and gasped for air. He looked between his legs. There was a bruise forming about halfway down his shaft and small teeth marks.

Ryan looked towards the bathroom and he could see Jessica hunched over the toilet. He grabbed his boxers and pulled them on. He limped to the bathroom and fell to his knees by her side.

"Jessica," he gasped, "Are you ok?"

Jessica lifted her head, shaking violently. She had tears streaming down her cheeks and her lower lip quivered. She turned back to the toilet and started vomiting again. Ryan gently placed his hand on her back and began stroking her spine. "It's ok Jessie, it's ok."

It took thirty minutes for Jessica to finally stop vomiting. She sat there with her head hung, her hair falling over her face. Ryan continued rubbing her back, waiting for her to talk.

"I'm sorry," she sniffed, "I didn't mean to hurt you."  
>"What happened?" Ryan quietly asked.<p>

"I had a flashback. James used to force me to give him and all of his friends blow jobs almost every day. I realized one day that when they were drunk they would make me stop if I bit them. It became my defense. Then one day James realized what I was doing and tried to beat me to death….again." Jessica rubbed her eyes. "He used to pull my hair the same way you did. I've been ok for a few years when it came to giving head, but I think with recent events something made me flash back." She slowly crawled to him and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry Ryan, I didn't mean to hurt you. Can you forgive me?"

Ryan kissed the top of her head. "Jessica there really isn't a thing you could do that would make me hate you. I love you and I know you would never do that intentionally."

Jessica sat up and looked at him. "Can I see?" Ryan nodded his head. He stood up and pulled down his boxers. There was a purple ring forming around his penis. "Oh god Ryan, I think we should go to the hospital."

"No, no, no, I'll be fine." Ryan said, hastily pulling up his boxers.

"Ryan," Jessica said sternly, "You need to get checked out, what if I caused some kind of damage?"

"You didn't bite me that hard." Ryan tried to walk away but flinched and tripped. He fell to his knees and tears formed in his eyes.

"Fine then," Jessica said standing and walking around him, "If you won't go to the hospital then I'm calling Alexx."

"What? No!" Ryan tried to stand but he received stabbing pains again.

Jessica turned and looked at him. "Fine then, if you don't want me to then come over here and stop me."  
>Ryan tried to stand and managed to get up all the way this time. He hobbled towards Jessica as tears streamed down his face. He got all the way to the bed before he collapsed to his knees again. Jessica pulled him up and helped him onto the bed.<p>

"I'm calling Alexx" she said sternly.

"Jess…" Ryan groaned.

Jessica grabbed her phone and dialed Alexx's number.

"Dr. Woods" Alexx answered.

"Alexx, its Jessica."

"Well hey baby girl, how are you doing?"

"I'm good. I have a question for you. How much do you know about penises?"

Alexx was silent for a moment. "How much do I know about the penis? Baby girl you're not considering a sex change, now are you?"

Jessica couldn't help but giggle. "No, Ryan and I had a bit of an….accident and he needs some professional help here."  
>"Oh dear god what did you do to the poor boy?"<p>

"I may have….accidently….bit him."  
>"Oh Jesus, you didn't bite through, right?"<p>

"No," Jessica answered. She pulled down Ryan's boxers and looked at the bruise. "There aren't any teeth marks but there's a pretty nasty bruise."  
>"You know what I think I'll make a house call this one time. I'm already off duty but I think he needs to get checked out."<br>"That's what I said, but he wouldn't listen to me."

Alexx chuckled lightly. "I'll be over in a few. Put something cold on it for now, but not too cold. And make sure there's something between the cold compress and his flesh. If you got a frozen bag of peas that might work best. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Jessica thanked Alexx and hung up her phone. "Alexx ix coming over" she said to Ryan as she walked out of the room. "Ugh!" Jessica heard Ryan groan in protest.

Jessica dug through the freezer and found a bag of frozen corn. She took it upstairs and found Ryan still sitting in the bed. She dung through his dresser and found a pair of sweatpants. Jessica pulled them up over Ryan's legs and carefully to his waist.

"Alexx said to use a cold compress but not to freeze your balls." Jessica said, placing the bag of corn on Ryan's crotch. Ryan jumped at the sudden cold and groaned in pain.

"Oh god, Jessica why is she coming over?" Ryan asked.

"Because she wants to make sure you're ok."  
>"But this is so embarrassing!"<p>

"Would you rather loose your penis?"

"I don't know, you're always talking about how frickin huge I am, maybe this would be an improvement." Ryan smiled at her.

"But Ryan" Jessica leaned in and whispered in his ear, "I like it when you rearrange my intestines." Ryan moaned and gasped. "Ok, no trying to give me a boner. It hurts!"

Jessica kissed his neck. "Sorry pumpkin."

They heard someone knock on the front door. Jessica jetted out of the room and down the stairs. She opened the door to find Alexx. She gave Jessica a weird look and Jessica remembered she was still topless.

"Oh geez," Alexx said, "You two must have been going crazy."

Jessica chuckled and lifted her arm. "No, Ryan put balm on my new tattoo and it itches already so I decided to eighty-six the whole shirt thing for now."

Alexx stared at the tattoo on Jessica's side. "My god baby girl, that is one hell of a tattoo."  
>"I didn't want to see the burn marks anymore."<br>Alexx gave her a reassuring smile. "That's the spirit. Now where's limpy?"

"Upstairs," Jessica said, leading Alexx up the stairs.

Ryan squirmed uncomfortably when he saw Alexx. "Alright baby," Alexx said, "Let's see the damage." Ryan didn't move. He grasped at the waistline of his sweatpants. Alexx looked at him with her hands on her hips. "Are you going to take them off or am I going to have to take them off myself? Because you know I'm not afraid to go there."

Ryan's ears turned red and he fiddled with his pants. Jessica sat next to him on the bed and slipped her hand into one of his. "Please Ryan, let Alexx see."  
>"Baby I've seen plenty of naked men in my time. Anything you've got I've already seen. And don't worry, you're already better than any guy that showed up on my ME table."<br>Ryan shifted uncomfortably. He sighed and started pulling down his sweatpants. He flinched when the elastic waistline brushed against his penis. Jessica reached over and helped him pull them off the rest of the way. Ryan sat back up and looked away from Alexx, the blush now creeping onto his cheeks.

"Alright," Alexx said, pulling on a pair of gloves, "Let's see what Jessie Bug did."

Ryan jumped when Alexx touched his legs. "Baby I need you to spread your legs a little." Ryan sighed but complied. Alexx's hands ran along the inside of his thighs and he could feel her breath on his genitals. "You know this might be easier if you watched me. All this jumping you're doing is making it harder for me to examine you." Ryan hesitated but slowly turned his head towards Alexx. "Relax baby, just relax."

Alexx's hands ran down Ryan's penis and he shuddered. "Does it hurt when I touch you here?" Ryan shook his head. "Not there." "Still nervous?" Alexx asked. Ryan nodded his head. "Don't worry" she reassured him.

Alexx gently touched the bruise on Ryan's shaft. Ryan gripped the blanket and squeezed his eyes shut. "That hurts," he strained. "No doubting that," Alexx said. She leaned in close and looked at the bruise. She lifted Ryan's penis and looked at the bruise from every angle. After a few minutes of palpating him and looking Alexx stood and removed her gloves.

"Well good news," she said, "Baby girl didn't cause any serious damage that I can see. Jessie didn't bite hard enough to do anything but break the blood vessels. Since the penis has so many nerves in it it's super sensitive. You're going to be sore tomorrow so you might be better off calling into work tomorrow. Just rest and heal up."

Ryan sighed and rubbed his temples. "Well that's going to be an interesting call to Horatio."  
>"I'll do it!" Jessica exclaimed. She jumped from the bed and was already dialing Horatio's number. She hit the speaker phone button and Ryan could hear the other line ringing.<p>

"Jessica don't you dare!" Ryan growled at her. Jessica stuck her tongue out at Ryan.

"Caine" Horatio answered.

"Daddy!" Jessica sang, "How are you?"

Horatio chuckled. "I'm doing good Bug, how are you feeling today?"

"I'm doing fabulous! I got a haircut and a new tattoo today."  
>"Did you really? You're going to become a human sketch book pretty soon."<p>

"Just like Momma?"

Horatio chuckled lightly. "Just like your mother. Did you need to talk about anything?"

"Yes Daddy! Ryan's not going to be able to go to work per Dr. Alexx Woods."

"What happened to Ryan?"

"I bit his little Ryan."

"I'm sorry Bug, what?"

Jessica let out an exaggerated sigh. "I tried to give him a blow job, he grabbed my hair, it made me have a flashback, and I bit his junk."

Horatio was silent for a moment. Jessica sighed to Ryan _"I think I embarrassed him finally."_ Ryan couldn't help but chuckle. _"Looks like you win this time."_ Jessica smiled. _"You've gotten better. Have you been practicing?" "Yes, actually I have."_

"Well then," Horatio said, sounding a little apprehensive, "I guess he probably should have the day off. You keep him home and take care of him Bug. And no more adventures, I can't have two of my best CSIs out."

Jessica tilted her head in confusion. "Who else is out Daddy?"

"You of course Bug."

A small smile graced Jessica's face. "Well I guess you can have me back in two weeks, after I graduate."

Jessica could hear the smile in Horatio's voice. "That sounds like a great plan. Why don't you go take care of that husband of yours now."  
>"He's not my husband!" Jessica playfully snapped, "And you're on speaker and Ryan and Alexx are in the room."<p>

Horatio laughed. "I love you Bug. I'm glad you're feeling better. You're going to have to come over so I can see that new haircut and tattoo."

"Alright Daddy, I love you, too."

Jessica hung up her phone. She ran and pounced on the bed with Ryan. She wrapped her arms around his head and kissed the top of it. "I'm sorry I hurt you pumpkin and then made you live through a hellish evening of embarrassment." Ryan mumbled something against Jessica's chest. She pulled his head back and looked at him. "What did you say?" Ryan smirked, "I said I love boobies!" Jessica smacked him lightly on the side of his head. "Horny little bastard. Why are you still half naked?" Jessica grabbed Ryan's boxers and helped him pull them back on, followed by the sweatpants. She placed the bag of corn back on his groin and Ryan groaned. "Come on Alexx," Jessica said, "I'll show you out."

"You definitely look like you're feeling better, baby girl." Alexx said.

"Yeah, I think between the trip to the pier with Kyle and the swift kick in the ass from Horatio is really what I needed." Jessica smiled.

"Well good for you baby." Alexx pulled her in for a hug. "And that was a good call you made, Ryan could have had some serious damage."

"Thanks Alexx."

Jessica watched Alexx's car drive away. A middle aged man walked by the door. He stopped and looked back at the still shirtless Jessica. "What are you looking at?" Jessica sneered. She walked back inside and shut the door.

Jessica wandered into the kitchen and looked around. Everything was still the same way it had been the last time Jessica had been there. She opened the fridge and looked in. She pushed aside different food items. She pulled out the bottle of hundred proof, spiced rum and looked at it. Ryan had already drank some of it. Jessica uncapped it and sniffed the contents. The bitey spice flavor of the alcohol cut through her nose and Jessica couldn't help but moan lightly.

Jessica looked at the bottle and swirled it contents around. She lifted the bottle to her lips and took a long drink. A burning, tingling sensation ran through her sinuses and throat. She took another drink, and then another, and then one more. She recapped the bottle and put it back in the fridge. She walked out of the kitchen and staggered a bit. She regained her balance and climbed the steps.

Ryan smiled when Jessica came back. She leaned in the door fame and looked at him. She smiled at him, her blue eyes glowing.

"Hey love" he said to her. Jessica walked over to the bed, her footing a little uneven. She picked up the bag of corn and smiled at him with her lips pressed together. Ryan heard her walk down the stairs. Moments later she reappeared in the doorway and walked over to her bag. She pulled out a toothbrush and twirled it between her fingers. Ryan listened to her brush her teeth and then rinse with mouthwash.

Jessica back walked into the bedroom. She hoped Ryan wouldn't be able to smell the rum on her breath. She pulled out a pair of pajama pants and a baggy t-shirt. She changed out of her jeans and into the pajama. She walked over to Ryan and unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off. Jessica crawled into bed with Ryan and just looked at him.

Ryan reached over and gently ran his fingers down her cheek. "You're so beautiful." He said, "I admire you for how strong and brave you are. I love you Jessica."

Jessica took his hand and kissed his palm. "Thank you Ryan, you've become my rock through out all of this. I can't thank you enough."

Ryan intertwined their fingers. "You don't have to, I know."

**Here's an interesting fact- I based Ryan's birthday off Jonathan Togo's (the actor who plays Ryan). I wrote this chapter and then had a realization. Jonathan Togo is not a Leo. He's a … But I already had the chapter done so I decided not to change it. Besides, I liked the design I came up with for the tattoo. When I tried to change it I just didn't like it as much. So instead I left it as it was.**


	26. Senior Presentation

Senior Presentation

Jessica was a nervous wreck as she flew about her condo. It was Monday and the day of her senior presentation for her internship. All she needed to do was pass this project and she would be done with her Doctrine in Forensic Science.

Horatio watched from her bed as Jessica scurried between the bedroom and bathroom, trying to finish getting ready. When she passed in front of the bed he grabbed the waistline of her pants and pulled her into his lap. He planted kisses all over her cheeks and tickled her sides.

"Stop it Daddy!" Jessica laughed as she squirmed in his arms.

"No! Not until you relax!" he playfully teased her.

"Daddy I need to get ready." Jessica pulled from his arms and walked over to the mirror.

Jessica ran her hands down her shirt, smoothing it out. She was wearing a deep purple top with gray plaid dress pants that had purple stripes intertwined. She pulled on her purple heels Ryan had bought her that matched the top perfectly. Horatio walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"You look so much like your mother." He said. Jessica smiled at him and brushed her short hair from her face. "Even without Izzy's curls and green eyes?" Horatio kissed the top of her head and nuzzled his face into her hair. "I love you just the way you are. You're my Jessie Bug, my little girl."

He opened his hand and a silver chain descended from it. A silver butterfly hung from the chain and swayed slowly back and forth. "I thought you might like to wear this today." he said quietly. Jessica smiled and nodded her head. "I would love to." Horatio unclasped the chain and wrapped it around her neck. He clasped it behind her head. "Beautiful" he whispered, "Now let's go, I promised Ryan we would meet him there at 10:30."  
>Jessica's eyes lit up. "Ryan's going to be there?"<p>

Horatio nodded his head. "Along with Natalia and Jesse. I couldn't let the whole team go though. So they played rock, paper, scissors to see who got to go." Horatio chuckled, "Calleigh was pissed she lost."

* * *

><p>Jessica stood at the podium, fiddling with her note cards, waiting for her cue to start. She started playing with the bracelet on her wrist and felt the tiny ladybugs walking together. There were so many people there. The entire department faculty had shown up and many of the underclassmen were present apparently to watch history in the making as Miami University's youngest graduate was about to earn her third Doctrine. The university had never had someone graduate with more than one Doctrine under the age of thirty.<p>

Jessica looked to the back of the room. Amongst the hundreds of people she could see Horatio. He was sitting with Ryan, Natalia, and Jesse. Horatio gave her a reassuring smile and winked.

"Alright Dr. Caine," one of the professors said, "Whenever you're ready you may begin."

Jessica took a deep breathe and smiled. "Good morning everyone, my name is Dr. Jessica Caine. I will be presenting today about my internship at the Miami Dade Police Department Crime Lab. I began my work in August as a forensic specialist…."

Jessica continued on. She discussed her duties as an intern, how the crime lab worked, and her experiences and what she learned working there. She had slides and a power point presentation that displayed her facts and pictures of her work. Ryan smiled as he listen to her discuss her supervisor and his incredible work as a CSI and how he inspired her to be her best.

When her presentation was done Jessica spent almost fifteen minutes answering questions from audience members. Many were dim witted ones from underclassmen asking what it was like working with dead people. Natalia refused when Jesse offered her fifty dollars to ask Jessica if she thought her supervisor was hot.

Finally Jessica concluded her presentation. The entire room burst into an orchestra of applause. Jessica smiled and looked around the room. The panel of professors before her leaned in and were quietly discussing amongst their selves. Jessica grew nervous again when her advisor looked at her with a troubled look on his face. "Dr. Caine, we need to talk to you in private for a moment if you don't mind." Jessica nodded her head and followed them out a door.

The minutes ticked as everyone anxiously waited. Some people began to leave, complaining of class or work. Ten minutes later Jessica walked back in. Horatio could tell by the expression on her face something wasn't right. He stood from his chair and walked to her. Ryan, Jesse, and Natalia followed close behind him.

"Bug," Horatio said as he approached his daughter, "What's wrong?"

Jessica was shaking ever so slightly and she looked as if she would burst into tears. "They saw the news." She quietly said, "They saw the news broadcast where Ryan was standing on your lawn and declared that he loved me and that we were dating."

Ryan felt the color drain from his face. "Oh god, I didn't screw something up, did I?"

Jessica shook her head. "No, don't worry about it."  
>"Jessica," Horatio said fretfully, "What does it mean?"<p>

Jessica took a shaky breathe and slowly exhaled. "There is a very strict rule within the department about intern site relationships. There was a problem years ago where a student dated his supervisor and she passed him just because she thought she loved him. He ended up leaving her once he passed and she killed herself. Now if anyone is discovered to be dating their supervisor they automatically fail." Jessica looked between her father and Ryan. "They're out there trying to decide what to do. The only reason they're not automatically failing me is because of the review Ryan gave me. They said it was too honest to be biased so they're taking that into consideration."

"They're not going to fail you, are they?" Natalia asked.

Jessica shook her head. "I don't think so."  
>"But what makes you think they're going to pass you?" Jesse asked.<p>

Jessica looked at him, her eyes glistening with the tears that threatened to fall. "Because they let me present. That broadcast was aired three weeks ago. If they saw it and knew they were going to fail me then they wouldn't have let me present."

Just then the three men walked back in. Jessica jumped back up to the front and Horatio, Ryan, Jesse, and Natalia sat in chairs at the front of the room.

"Dr. Caine," her advisor, Dr. Bires, began, "I would first like to congratulate you on a job well done on your presentation. It was well organized and informational. You were able to keep the interest of the audience and believe me that's saying something since I know my Introduction to Criminal Justice class is here." He gave Jessica a small smile.

"Unfortunately as you know it was brought to the attention of this department that you were romantically involved with one of your site supervisors, Officer Ryan Wolfe. As you know the department rules for internship sites specifically states that immediate termination of the project is due for any student that is discovered to be in a relationship with their supervisor. With that being said Dr. Caine you will receive an incomplete for your internship project and will have to retake the course this upcoming year."

Jessica's lower lip began to tremble and she blinked back tears. "I understand sir," she whispered. A low murmur arose about the room. Ryan rubbed at his eyes, trying to fight the tears he could feel forming.

"However," Dr. Bires continued, "This department has taken recent events into consideration. The work you have done at Miami Dade exceeds all expectations. You have gone above and beyond the call of duty in your role as an intern." Dr. Bires leaned forward, "Which I hear includes being able to fight off seven grown men, sending each of them to the hospital and then maximum security prison, and developing the reputation as a one shot killer. Over the last year I've watched you grow from a bubbly young girl to a professional crime fighting woman. To say in the least that you seeked comfort within another doesn't surprise me at all.

"Therefore, the department of Criminal Justice has reconsidered our decision. Dr. Caine the work you have done is the best we've ever seen. You've grown as a person and as a professional. Your presentation was pristine, the reviews from your site supervisor and immediate supervisor were extremely impressive and honest, and your hard work is evident.

"Dr. Caine this department grants you the grade of an A+ on your internship project and we approve and endorse that you be granted the honorable title of Doctor of Philosophy in Forensic Science.

"Congratulations Dr. Caine, you have become a fine forensic scientist."

Jessica's hands flew over her mouth as tears streamed down her face. She gasped for air as she thanked the panel of professors and the room burst into a standing ovation. Horatio ran to his daughter and encased her in his arms. She buried her face into his neck and cried.

"You did it Bug," he whispered, "You passed. You made history. Your mother would be proud."

"Oh god Daddy…" Jessica sobbed against his shirt collar.

Jessica felt another hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Jesse standing next to her. He smiled at her. "Congratulations Jessie, I knew you could do it." He pulled her into his arms and held her close. He kissed the side of her head. "I'm so proud of you. I knew you wouldn't disgrace the name Jesse. Remember, we'll always have that Jesse power." Jessica smiled and kissed his cheek.

Natalia was the next to tackle Jessica. "Oh my god Jessie, you were so amazing! I could never do that, all those people watching. You were fabulous!" Jessica smiled and hugged her big sister. "Thank you Natalia."

Jessica stepped back and looked at Ryan. He gave her a small smile and held out his arms. Jessica ran and jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. Ryan lost his balance and fell to the floor. Jessica nuzzled her face into his neck and cried. "They're right you know," Ryan said, "You did an incredible job these last nine months. Hell you figured out all the shit I couldn't. Without you we wouldn't have been able to solve all those cases. I'm so proud of you Jessica." He kissed her cheek and held her close. "But I need you to get off of me now, my junk still hurts."

Jessica giggled and climbed off of Ryan. She helped him stand up. They stood there just looking into each other's eyes holding hands. Jessica released her hold and slid her hands up to his face. She just looked at him and felt her heart swell.

"I love you Jessica," Ryan said. Jessica looked at him one last time and pulled his face to hers.

Jessica kissed him passionately. Her head spun, she saw stars, and her heart exploded. Ryan pulled her against his body and kissed her back. He was sure there were sparks emitting from their lips and their bodies glowed. When they finally broke apart they were gasping for air. Ryan smiled at Jessica and brushed his thumb lightly against her cheek.

"Now what brought on that?" he asked her.

"You," she replied, as she pulled him in for another kiss.

* * *

><p>The elevator cart came to a stop and the doors opened. The entire lab and most of the Miami Dade Police Department was standing there applauding. Jessica walked out of the cart with her father with Ryan, Natalia, and Jesse following close behind. There were balloons and streamers and someone was throwing confetti. There was a giant sign that read "Congratulations Dr. Stone-Caine." Jessica smiled as she took everything in.<p>

"Dad," she said, "Who did this?" Horatio didn't get the chance to answer as Calleigh came bursting through the crowd. She encased Jessica in her arms and kissed her cheek.

"Congratulations Jessie!" she squealed, "Oh we're all so proud and excited for you!"

"Calleigh was this your doing?" Jessica managed to ask.

"Yes!" Calleigh exclaimed. "Hey, I help!" Walter said as he walked up. He tossed a handful of confetti into the air and it fell onto Jessica's head.

"Well thank you both!" Jessica said as she hugged Walter.

"You deserved it after all the work you did." Eric said, suddenly at her side. He pulled her in for a hug and pecked her on the cheek. He smiled at her and looked into her eyes. "My little niece just earned her third Doctrine."

"Come on Jessie, there's cake!" Calleigh exclaimed, grabbing Jessie's hand and dragging her through the lab.

Everyone was standing around the break room enjoying the cake the department had bought when Jessica heard her phone ring. She excused herself to the hall to answer the call.

Jessica didn't recognize the number flashing on her screen.

"Dr. Caine" she answered.

"Hello Dr. Caine," a man's voice said, "My name's Dr. Cooper and I'm with the University of Denver. I've been looking for someone to replace the role of Professor of Forensic Science here at UD and Dr. Bires recommended you when I called him this afternoon. I was wondering if you would like to come teach for us. You would start in two weeks with the summer session. Your housing would be provided by the university and you would be employed full time."  
>Jessica stood there dazed. A full time teaching job? That might pay better than a crime lab. But what was she thinking? She couldn't leave Ryan and Miami.<p>

"I'm sorry Dr. Copper but I'm going to have to respectfully decline. I've already received a job offer here in Miami. Thank you though for the offer."  
>"Very well, thank you anyways Dr. Caine." Dr. Cooper said, "If you ever change your mind though feel free to give me a call anytime."<p>

Jessica walked back into the break room with everyone. Horatio walked up to her and wrapped his arm around her. "If I could have everyone's attention for a moment." He said loudly. Everyone turned and looked at Jessica and Horatio.

"I would like to take this moment to congratulate Dr. Stone-Caine on her amazing work, both at the university and here at the crime lab." Everyone applauded and Horatio patiently waited for them to stop. "I would also like to formally present Dr. Stone-Caine here with a job offer to work for the Miami Dade Police Department Crime Lab as a full time Forensic Specialist and Crime Scene Investigator." Horatio held out an envelope for Jessica. Her face lit up with a wide grin and she accepted the envelope from Horatio.

"Thank you Lieutenant Caine," Jessica said, "And I hope I'm not being too hasty when I say I would love to accept your offer."

Horatio smiled at his daughter. "I don't see anything too hasty about it at all. Unfortunately we cannot hire you until after you've graduated, so enjoy the next five days off. But Monday morning I better see you here, 7:00am sharp."

Jessica smiled and hugged her father. "Congratulations Bug" Horatio whispered to her.

"Thank you Daddy H" she whispered back.


	27. Rose and Wine

Rose and Wine

Jessica and Ryan barely made it through the front door of his apartment before she started working her tongue around the inside of his mouth. Ryan pulled her close and sank onto the couch and pulled Jessica onto his lap. He ran his hands over every inch of her body and felt himself slowly grow hard.

Jessica broke from their kiss and looked into his eyes. "Ryan," she said, "I think I'm ready."

Ryan smiled at her and ran his hand through her hair. "You sure?"

Jessica nodded her head. "Please, let's just try."

Ryan kissed her gently and shifted her off his lap. "I'll be right back."

Ryan ran upstairs and looked through his nightstand. He found a condom and a bottle of lube. He clamored back down and found Jessica waiting for him on the couch. He smiled at her and kissed her gently.

"This is just like our first time." He said with a smile.

"This is the spot." Jessica said, "The spot where our life together started. The spot where our souls connected for the first time. The spot where we were finally whole again for the first time."

Ryan looked deep into her eyes and pulled her in for another kiss. Jessica pulled him on top of her onto the couch and began palming him through his pants. Ryan moaned and arched his back.

Ryan stood up and slowly undid his belt. He pulled down his pants and then his boxers, exposing his forming erection. Jessica smiled seductively at him and unzipped her dress pants. She slid them down her longs legs and kicked them to the ground. Ryan leaned down and pulled her panties off slowly. He stood back up and unbuttoned his shirt and dropped it to the ground. Jessica pulled her shirt off over her head and then unclasped her bra, letting it fall off her body.

Ryan opened the condom and rolled it down his impressive length and applied some lube. He crawled between Jessica's legs and kissed her gently.

"Just tell me when you want to stop." He said to her, "I meant it when I said I never want to hurt you, ever."

"I will Ryan," Jessica responded, "I promise."

Ryan slowly enticed her entrance, running his penis over her labia and against her clitoris. Jessica lightly moaned and lolled her head to the side as she grinned seductively. Ryan slowly worked his way into her tight heat, pausing once his head was in. He looked at her and could detect something in her eyes.

"Are you ok love?" Ryan asked her. Jessica hesitated but nodded her head. "I think so. It's just a little….weird…..after so long."

Ryan leaned in and kissed her. "Do you want to keep going?" Jessica thought it over for a second. "Yes, I do." Ryan kissed her neck and nipped gently. "Just tell me when you want to stop."

Ryan continued to push inward to Jessica's most inner core. Her muscles contracted tightly around him and Ryan moaned.

Ryan was almost all the way in when Jessica whimpered. She squirmed slightly against his body and shifted uncomfortably. "Are you still ok?" Ryan asked.

"I don't know." Jessica responded, "Something doesn't feel quite right, but I might be fine. I think I just need to remember how you feel."  
>"Jess, I think we should stop." Ryan said, trying to pull out.<p>

"No, Ryan, please!" Jessica said, trying to wrap her legs around him. "I just need a little time, that's all. Please don't stop."

Ryan hovered there for a moment, unsure of what to do. "Fine," he quietly said, continuing on.

"Now you're mad at me." Jessica said, "Fine just stop."  
>"No Jessica, we can keep going. You said you wanted to. I'm not mad at you."<p>

Jessica sighed and laid on her back. "Fine then, just keep going."

"Now you're mad at me."  
>"No I'm not!" Jessica snapped, "I just want to have sex with you, that's all!"<p>

Ryan looked into her eyes. He ran his hand gently over her hair. He leaned down and kissed her. "I'm sorry, love, I didn't intend to be so mean to you. Do you really want to keep going?" Jessica brushed a tear off her cheek and nodded her head without saying anything. "Alright, anything for you," Ryan whispered.

Ryan pushed the rest of the way in and Jessica whimpered again, louder this time. She pushed her body further into the couch and squirmed. "Are you sure you're ok?" Ryan asked.

"Yes, please Ryan!" Jessica said loudly.

Ryan sighed and started rocking his hips gently. He could feel himself loosing his erection slowly inside Jessica. Jessica's body tensed and her nails dug into Ryan's back. Ryan kissed her gently and felt her tears against his face.

Ryan stopped and pulled out of Jessica. He walked across the living room and discarded the condom in the trash. He walked back to her and sat on the couch, now completely flaccid. He gently rubbed her legs and looked at her. Jessica sat up and scooted towards Ryan. She took his hand into her own and held it gently.

"I'm sorry Ryan." She quietly said, "I thought I was ready."

"It's alright love. I told you if you wanted to stop to tell me." He placed his free hand on her cheek. He held her face gently and brushed his thumb against her cheek. "We tried and we just weren't ready yet. We can wait until we're ready."

Jessica looked into his hazel eyes. "But what if I'm never ready?"  
>Ryan brought her face to his and kissed her lightly. "Then I'll wait until then."<p>

* * *

><p>Jessica and Ryan wandered into the kitchen, now fully dressed. Ryan opened the fridge and looked around at their food choices. "We have crab cakes still from the other day." he said, "Or I could whip up something for us."<p>

Jessica wrapped her arms around his waist and looked over his shoulder. Ryan reached around behind him and pulled Jessica to his side. He kissed the side of her head and looked back into the fridge. "How about chicken?" he suggested, "I can grill some chicken and we can make Cesar salads."  
>Jessica smiled and kissed his neck. "I think that sounds good. I have something for us, too." She slipped out of his grasp and ran upstairs. Ryan started preparing the food and soon Jessica appeared back by his side. "I bought this in hopes we would be celebrating tonight." She held out the bottle. Ryan took it and read the label.<p>

"Tequila Rose?" he said, "I haven't had something like that in a while."

"Me either, not since sometime in college….Penn State that is." She said, as she grabbed a few shot glasses from the cupboard. She poured a shot for each of them and handed one to Ryan. He lifted it and smelled it. "Hmm, strawberry," he said with a smile. He held his shot out to Jessica. "Here's to the best damn Doctor of Forensic Science in the world." They clicked their glasses together and drank their shots. The liquor burned slightly in Ryan's throat and he lipped his lips. "Delicious," he said with a goofy smirk.

Ryan continued to cook while Jessica prepared their salads. She poured them a few more shots and they were beginning to feel the effects after the fourth. Ryan pulled out a bottle of wine and a few glasses.

"I bought this in hopes we would be celebrating." He said as he kissed Jessica.

"Guess great minds really do think alike." Jessica said against his lips.

They ate their food and drank their wine. As they cleaned the kitchen they took a few more shots and drank more wine. Soon they were both laughing and stumbling over their own feet.

Jessica sat on the counter and pulled Ryan over to her. She kissed him and he opened his mouth to her. They continued to kiss sloppily and drank more. Jessica bit Ryan's neck roughly and sucked on the spot hard. Ryan moaned and felt his eyes roll back into his head.

"God you're so hot!" he said to her, "Can I touch your boobies?"

Jessica laughed and released his neck. "Please do!" She bit another spot on Ryan's neck as he slid his hands beneath her shirt.

"Oh god they're so big!" Ryan moaned as Jessica found the sweet spot on his neck. "Let's go make out naked in my bed! But no sex! I don't think I can get it up right now anyways."

"Why not?" Jessica groaned.

"Too much boooooze!" Ryan said as he leaned his forehead against hers.

"Ok," Jessica said. She grabbed the tequila and wine bottles and hopped off the counter. "Let's goooo!" She said as she stumbled towards the stairs.

Somehow they managed to make it to Ryan's bedroom. Jessica placed the bottles on the nightstand. She turned to Ryan and started kissing him with big, wet, open mouthed kisses. She tugged at his belt but couldn't seem to figure out how to open it.

"Make your penis show!" she whined.

Ryan laughed and struggled to get his pants off. When he was finally free of the offensive garments he yanked Jessica's shirt off over her head. He somehow managed to get her bra undone and tossed it over his head. He quickly buried his face between her breasts and shook his head back and forth. "I love boobies!" he exclaimed loudly. Jessica laughed and lifted his head to her face and kissed him.

She pulled his shirt apart, causing the buttons to fly everywhere. She started biting at his chest and teasing his nipples. Ryan yanked at her pants and managed to get them over her butt without even unzipping them. He pushed them down to the floor with his foot and lifted her from the ground. He placed her on the bed and kissed her more. Ryan sat up and pulled Jessica's panties off. He pressed them to his face and inhaled deeply.

"God you smell so good!" he said as he fell backwards off the foot of the bed. "I'm ok!" he declared as he sat up from the floor.

Jessica laughed at him. "You fell! Now you have to take a shot!" She picked up the tequila bottle and took a swig before she handed it to him. Ryan accepted the bottle and took a drink.

"Ah! This tastes so good!" he said. He eyed her over. "But I bet you taste better."  
>"But I thought you said no sex."<br>"Oral sex isn't sex. It just has the name sex in it."  
>"Ok," Jessica said, spreading her legs as far as she could. "Suck my clit!"<p>

Ryan dove his head between her legs and started sucking on very inch of her vagina. Jessica moaned loudly and squeezed her legs around his head.  
>"Oh yeah Ryan!" Jessica exclaimed, "Keep going! Oh god yes! Oh I needed this so bad!" Jessica felt her body tense as she was overtaken by pleasure and screamed Ryan's name.<p>

Ryan crawled up next to her and kissed her. He took a drink from the bottle and then held it out to Jessica. "You had an orgasm! Now you have to take a shot!"

"I'm game!" Jessica said as she took a drink.

Ryan slid his fingers inside Jessica and she moaned loudly. "Fingering isn't sex!" he said as he kissed her. Jessica laughed and bit his neck more. Ryan rubbed his fingers roughly against her clitoris and felt Jessica become wetter. "Oh you're so hot! Why can't I get a boner!"

"The alcohol is thinning your blood so when your cock fills with blood it's not as hard."  
>"Shut up smarty pants or I won't let you orgasm again!" Ryan teased.<p>

Jessica groaned "Oh but I want to!"

"Then shut up!" Ryan bit at her clavicle and laved over the spot with his tongue.

Jessica arched her back against Ryan's hand and moaned his name. Jessica flopped onto the bed and gasped for air. "Ok, no more of that for now." Jessica said, pulling herself on top of Ryan. "Let's just get sloppy like middle schoolers!" She crammed her tongue into his mouth and worked her way around inside.

Ryan nipped at her breasts and laved his tongue over his bite marks. "You have to take another shot," Ryan said, "You had another orgasm." Jessica smiled seductively at him and sat up. She grabbed the bottle and took a drink. She pulled Ryan up and placed the bottle to his lips and Ryan took a long swig. Jessica removed the bottle and looked at him with hazy, uneven eyes.

Jessica rubbed her body over Ryan's penis that she sat directly on top of. Ryan moaned lightly and smiled. "God that feels good. Why can't I get a boner?" Jessica smiled and kissed him. "I thought you didn't want me to explain." she teased. "No don't, just keep touching me." Ryan responded.

Jessica continued thrusting her hips over Ryan's cock and he moaned her name. He felt himself stiffen, but knew there wouldn't be any other result. After awhile Jessica stopped and looked at him. "Sorry, I'm kind of tired. This takes a lot of work." Ryan smiled and pulled her in for a kiss. "I don't mind."

Ryan laid back down on the bed and pulled Jessica down with him. He kissed her tenderly and rolled her onto her side. Ryan cuddled up behind her and pressed his chest into her back.

"I think we need shleep" Ryan slurred.

Jessica laughed and rolled over. "Shleep? What's wrong with you Mr. Wolfe?"

"I'm a lots drunk," Ryan chuckled as he placed his forehead against hers with his eyes slightly crossed.

Jessica laughed again and kissed him. "That's ok, I am too. Let's shleep, my little Wolfie."

Ryan laughed and kissed her. "Alright, my little Bug."  
>"Don't call me that." She teased, "That's the name my Daddy calls me. I can't think of my Daddy while I'm being naughty."<p>

Ryan laughed and kissed her again. "Alright then, my love."

They stared into each other's eyes. Ryan stroked Jessica's cheek and pecked her on the nose.

"You're beautiful," he said, as he drifted off to sleep.


	28. Where are you lover boy?

Where are you lover boy?

Ryan awoke with a start to his phone ringing. He rolled over and reached for the nightstand. He knocked over the wine bottle and it clattered to the floor. "Shit" he muttered as he grabbed his pants off the floor and found his phone.

"Wolfe" he said into the phone, rubbing his eyes.

"Ryan, where are you?" It was Calleigh on the other end.

"Um, I'm at home?"

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Calleigh asked him.

Ryan's head snapped to the clock on the nightstand. It was 7:37am. "Oh shit!" Ryan declared, jumping from the bed. He began rummaging through his dresser, grabbing boxers, socks, and a t-shirt. "I'm so sorry! I'll be there as soon as I can!"

Calleigh laughed and Ryan could hear others in the background. "Relax lover boy, take your time. We'll be here when you get here." The line clicked and Ryan set the phone on the dresser. "Damn it" he muttered to himself.

Ryan quickly got dressed and brushed his teeth. He ran to the bed and shook Jessica's arms. She groaned and rolled over and buried her head beneath the pillow. "Jess," Ryan said to her, "I'm leaving for work." Jessica rolled back over and lifted the pillow. A small smirk graced her face when she looked at him. "Aren't you a little late?" Ryan rolled his eyes and kissed her forehead. "Yes, and I blame you."

* * *

><p>Ryan jetted out of the elevator and to the front desk. He quickly signed his name on the sign in sheet. "A little late today, aren't you Ryan?" Mel asked him. "Yeah, forget to set my alarm." Ryan quickly said as he walked away.<p>

Ryan ducked into the break room and poured himself a cup of coffee. He downed the cup quickly and poured a second. He walked to the locker room and pushed open the door. Calleigh, Eric, and Jesse were standing around talking. Eric had changed into his scuba gear and was pulling on his shoes. Eric looked at his best friend and smiled.

"Wild night there Ry?" Eric asked him.

Ryan quickly opened his locker and acted like he was looking for something. "Why do you ask?"

Eric laughed. "Well either you and Jess had some fun last night or you got into a fight with a pitching machine and lost."  
>Ryan turned and looked at him confused. "What?"<p>

Calleigh laughed and grabbed Ryan's arm. She pulled him over to one of the mirrors. "Take a look lover boy."

"Oh my god!" Ryan screamed when he saw his reflection. Ryan's neck was covered in large bruises. There were at least five visible on his neck and when Ryan pulled back the collar on his t-shirt he found more bruises on his clavicle and what he could see of his chest.

"So you and Jessica have a little fun last night?" Calleigh teased.

Ryan didn't get the chance to answer. He ran into the men's room and vomited into one of the toilets. When he stopped he breathed heavily and spit into the bowl. Ryan flushed the toilet and walked out of the stall. He washed his hands and rinsed his mouth.

Ryan walked back into the locker room with everyone else. He picked up his coffee with a shaky hand and took a long drink. Jesse, Eric, and Calleigh all laughed, as Jesse reached into his locker and grabbed a bottle of aspirin. He poured a couple into his hand and held them out for Ryan, who hastily took them and swallowed them with coffee.

"You'll want to eat something with those." Jesse said, "Dry heaving isn't too fun. And you'll want to drink some water. Coffee helps get rid of the headache, but you need water to rehydrate yourself after a long night of drinking."

"What makes you think I was drinking last night?" Ryan asked, digging through his pockets and locker for change to buy something from the vending machine.

Eric laughed. "Ryan Wolfe, Mr. OCD who would never allow himself to be late a day in his life walks in almost an hour late, with hickies covering his neck, drinking coffee, from the break room nonetheless, and then vomits. I think you were shit faced last night."

Ryan rolled his eyes and quickly turned away. He quickly regretted the decision when his stomach churned in discomfort. Eric laughed and patted Ryan on the back. "Good luck with that hangover buddy."

Ryan left the locker room and headed to Horatio's office. Ryan found his boss sitting at his desk talking on the phone. He sat at the chair in front of Horatio's desk. He drank his coffee and waited for his boss to finish his phone call.

Horatio hung up his phone and looked at Ryan. He chuckled at the sight of the young man.

"Did my daughter hurt you again Ryan?" Horatio asked him.

Ryan smirked and sipped his coffee. "Eh, not too bad. I liked it though." He took another drink, "Sorry about being late boss. What have you got for me today?"

Horatio chuckled again. He pulled out his keys and held them out for Ryan. "Well for starters I believe there's still a turtleneck in my locker if you would like it." Ryan took the keys and looked them over. "After that you get to help me with paperwork until something else comes up. Eric, Jesse, and Calleigh are headed out to a deep sea search. Found a dead man with cement shoes just off the coast. Seems it's going to be a slow day today."

"Damn, no fun today." Ryan joked.

"Well from the looks of it you had enough fun last night, Mr. Wolfe." Horatio smirked, "How's my daughter anyways?"

Ryan smiled. "I think she's doing better. Last night she seemed so much like the old Jessica. She was happy and spunky and…." Ryan chewed over his next choice of words.

"Horny?" Horatio suggested.

Ryan laughed and shook his head. "Yeah, I think that would be about right."

"Did you have sex?"

Ryan shook his head again. "She wanted to try, but it didn't really work. We weren't ready."  
>"We?" Horatio asked.<p>

Ryan shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, I mean it takes two to tango."  
>"But what do you mean by 'we'?"<p>

Ryan sighed. "I don't think I was ready for it either. I was scared I was going to hurt her. I trusted Jessica when she said she was ready, but I was still afraid because…" Ryan trailed off.

"Because the last thing you wanted to do was hurt my daughter." Horatio smiled.

A small smile spread across Ryan's face. "Yeah, exactly."

"So what did you two do that's got you so banged up?" Horatio asked.

Ryan thought it over. He drank more of his coffee and tried to think. His head hurt something fierce and the pounding wouldn't stop. "I know she bit my neck and we kissed….a lot." Ryan tried to think to the night before. He rubbed his eyes and felt queasy.

Horatio leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on the desk. "Ryan, is something wrong?"

"I can't remember." Ryan said, "I really can't remember what happened last night."

Horatio chuckled. "Maybe more coffee and some food would help. I'm guessing you haven't ate anything but break room coffee today. How about a late breakfast here on me? But you have to go pick it up."

Ryan looked at him uncertainly. "You sure about that H?"

"Well it's the least I can do after what Jessie Bug did to you last night. Got you drunk and banged you senseless."  
>"Nope, no sex." Ryan said, taking another drink. "I remember that much."<p>

* * *

><p>Jessica woke up hours later. Her head was pounding and the lights were too bright. She slowly sat up and felt her stomach churn. She looked around the room. Ryan had left for work at some point and she remembered him telling her he was leaving.<p>

Jessica climbed out of bed. She picked up her bra and put it on. She dug out a pair of panties from Ryan's dresser she had left there at some and Ryan had laundered. She stole one of Ryan's t-shirts and pulled on a pair of her jeans.

Jessica looked at the bedroom and its disarray. The sheets and blankets on the bed were crumbled and thrown about the bed. The wine bottle had been knocked to the floor and what little contents were left was spilled on the hardwood floors. The tequila bottle was sitting on the floor and there was some left. Jessica picked it up and swirled the pink liquid. She lifted the bottle and drank the last of it. Jessica felt the pressure in her head release and she sighed in relief.

"Nothing like a beer in the morning to get rid of a hangover." She muttered to herself. Jessica shuddered when she remembered that had been James's saying the morning after a long night of drinking. She pushed him out of her mind. She was better than him. She always would be.

* * *

><p>Ryan walked into Horatio's office with the bag of food from a fast food joint just down the street. He handed one cup of coffee and the change to Horatio. "Thanks H" Ryan said as he pulled a chair up to Horatio's desk. Ryan quickly unwrapped a breakfast sandwich and started eating it quickly. Horatio looked at him and chuckled. "A little hungry I see." Ryan nodded his head. "To be honest I don't think I've been this hungover since college."<p>

Walter walked into Horatio's office. He momentarily stared at Horatio and Ryan eating and talking for a moment before he spoke. "Damn, do I get free breakfast for being late if I'm banging my boss's daughter, too?"

Horatio and Ryan both looked at him and gave him a nasty look. Walter recoiled backwards. "Just kidding" he quickly said.

"Do you have a purpose for being here Walter?" Horatio asked angrily.

"Yeah, just dropping off some files I need you to sign off on, H." Walter said. He dropped the files on Horatio's desk and left the room quickly.


	29. Or is it today now?

Or is it today now?

Ryan walked into his apartment and was greeted by the smell of something cooking. He smiled to himself and wondered if the old Jessica was finally back. Ryan wandered into the kitchen to find a topless Jessica cooking steak at the stove. She was wearing just jeans and her purple plaid bra. Ryan smiled to himself and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I thought it was dangerous to cook naked." Ryan said to her. Jessica turned and kissed his cheek. "Well too bad for you I'm not naked." Jessica said to him. Ryan smiled against her neck and kissed her neck gently.

"I'm going to go change. I'll be right back." Ryan told her with a kiss on the cheek.

"You better and make sure you wash that shirt. Daddy won't like it if you try to give him back his shirt dirty." Jessica smiled at Ryan as he lingered in the doorway. Ryan felt his ears turn red when he remembered he was wearing the blue turtleneck from Horatio.

"What makes you think this isn't my shirt?" Ryan asked.

Jessica smirked at him. "Because I bought that shirt for Horatio five years ago for Christmas. He said he didn't really like turtlenecks, but I guess it came in handy a few years ago after his wedding night with Marisol."  
>Ryan felt a blush creep onto his cheeks. "Yup, I'm changing."<p>

When Ryan meandered back down the stairs he found Jessica serving steaks and steamed green beans onto plates. Ryan pulled her to him and kissed her gently on the lips.

"You're so beautiful." He said to her, "I still can't believe out of all the people in the world you choose me. I must be the luckiest guy in the world."

Jessica ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him again. "You're wonderful."

They ate their food and Ryan told Jessica about his day. "I almost killed Walter today." Jessica looked at him shocked. "What? Why would you do something like that?"

Ryan rolled his eyes. "He made a joke about getting free breakfast and an excuse for being late just because he's banging his boss's daughter. But don't worry, I'm sure they would have let Horatio and I share a cell."

Jessica rolled her eyes and laughed. "My god, you and Daddy sure are becoming quick friends."  
>"Well I think working for him so long helps." Ryan looked at her for a moment. "Why didn't you tell us Horatio was your father?"<p>

Jessica sighed and looked at him. "I didn't want special treatment just because I was Horatio's little girl. I wanted everyone to treat me like any other person."

Ryan smiled at her. "You know, I think I'm glad you didn't tell us. It was nice getting to know you as Jessica Stone, not Jessica Caine."

Jessica returned his smile. "Yeah? I bet you wouldn't have made any moves if you knew I was the big boss's daughter."

"How so?"

"Well are you really going to ask the only daughter of your boss to dinner and then a movie back at your place?"

Ryan thought it over. "You know I honestly don't think I would have, especially Horatio Caine's daughter. Not with his shooting skills."

A smile spread across Jessica's face. "You saying you're scared of my father?"

Ryan screwed up his face in thought and looked at Jessica. "Just a lot."

Jessica laughed and leaned over the table to kiss him. Ryan laced his fingers in her hair and pulled her back for another kiss and then another. "I love you," he said to her.

Jessica smiled and pulled her hair free. She stood up and collected their plates. "I made dessert," she told him.

Ryan sighed and shook his head. He stood from the table and helped load the dishes into the dishwasher. "What's for dessert?" he asked, trying to sound chirper than he was.

"I made cheesecake." Jessica smiled, as she leaned in and kissed him. Ryan grinned against her lips. "Ohh, my favorite."

Jessica giggled. "Everything's your favorite."  
>"Nope," Ryan said, grabbing the waistline of her jeans, "You're my only favorite." He kissed her gently and held her close. Jessica smiled and kissed him back.<p>

She pulled from his arms and opened the fridge. She pulled the cake out and cut two pieces for them. She grabbed a fork and scooped a bite and held it out for Ryan. He opened his mouth and allowed her to feed him. He moaned when he tasted the cake and looked at her.

"Oh this is so good!" he said, his mouth still full of cheesecake, "I swear you are the best cook in the world!"

"My Daddy taught me well." Jessica smirked, taking a bite of the cake.

"Which one?" Ryan asked.

"What?" Jessica questioned.

"Which father? You mention a lot by things your father taught you but you never specify which father. Was it Brian or Horatio?"

Jessica looked at him. "Brian really wasn't my father. I spent most of my time with Horatio. My father would drop me off with Horatio and sometimes I would be there for days. Brian thought I was clueless as to what was going on. I knew he was bringing men home. Bringing them into our house, fucking them in the bed he shared with my mother." Jessica sounded disgusted and angry.

"He would do those things to them where she slept. I loved Brian but Horatio was everything I wanted in a father. He was kind and caring. He took care of me when I was sick. He was the one that took me to the hospital when I needed a tonsillectomy. My tonsils were so swollen I could barely breath. Brian dropped me off with Horatio and barely said two words to him before he left. Horatio realized something was wrong and took me straight to the hospital. Horatio was the one that found me in the street when I was thirteen after James tried to beat me to death. He almost didn't call Brian that day, he didn't want him there. But he knew that if I died then he would have to tell Brian what happened." Jessica rubbed her eyes.

"Horatio sued Brian for custody of me. My mother made Horatio a legal guardian of me before she died. The judge didn't see it Horatio's way though. He believed I needed to stay with my biological father. He didn't think Horatio would be an adequate father for me. I was only seven when that happened. The judge asked me who I wanted to live with. I told him I wanted to stay with Horatio but he didn't think I could make a decision like that at seven. I asked him then why did he even bother asking me.

"I was afraid I would never see Horatio again after that. Brian said though 'forgive and forget.' He tried to be a better father after that. He stopped going out every weekend to the bar. I still got to see Horatio though. I learned everything I know from Horatio. How to cook, how to act in public, how to be respectful, how to run a house as a single parent. He was the father I wanted. I loved him more than I did Brian. I made Horatio a Father's Day card when I was at summer camp one year. I sent it to him. He wrote me a letter thanking me. I didn't send one to Brian. He was upset and hurt I didn't send him one. He never said anything to me about it."

Ryan pulled Jessica into his arms and felt her bury her face into his neck. He felt her tears against his neck. He kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair.

"Well I see Horatio taught you well, because you're the most amazing person I've ever met." Ryan nuzzled his face into her hair, "It's ok Jess, I know what it's like to wish for another father. I watched my dad beat my mother one night. He was drunk and mad. I was four and she hid me in a closet so he wouldn't find me. She didn't think he would hurt me, but she just wanted to be safe. I watched him beat her with his belt buckle. He never found me. I never saw him touch her again after that, but I was still scared of him. I never knew what happened after I went to sleep. My mother would have bruises on her body and when I asked her about them she would never tell me. When she was pregnant though I never saw new bruises on her. I think he left her alone while she had his baby inside her."

"One day I wished he would die. I wished he would die so he could never hurt my mom again and he wouldn't be able to touch my little sister." Ryan choked and felt tears run down his cheeks. "That was the day of the accident. They died because of me. I wanted him dead and I killed her, too."

Jessica intertwined their fingers and placed her other hand on his cheek. She gently kissed him and rested her forehead against his.

"Maybe that's why we were supposed to find each other." She said quietly, "So we could be the parents we never had."

Ryan looked into her eyes and kissed her softly. "Maybe," he responded. He smiled at her shyly. "You still make me get butterflies in my stomach when I see those blue eyes."

Jessica chuckled lightly. "Do you get them when you see Horatio, too?"

Ryan laughed and kissed her. "No, but when I first met him those eyes of his scared me shitless. I swear he could read my mind. Freaked me out."

Jessica picked up her fork and scooped up some cheesecake. "Let's finish this before it gets warm." She said, as she spooned it into Ryan's mouth.

"Sounds like a great idea." Ryan responded, feeding Jessica a bite.

They feed each other their cheesecake and tried to lighten the mood. When they were done Jessica pulled a couple of bottles out of the fridge and placed them on the counter while she grabbed some cups.

"Whoa Jess," Ryan said, turning the bottles so he could read the labels, "Are you sure you want to drink again tonight?"

"Don't worry Ryan." Jessica said, "I'm just going to make us a few drinks, that's all."  
>"But vodka sours? Isn't that a little strong?"<p>

"Ryan," Jessica groaned, pulling him against her body, "I just want to have a little fun and party a bit before I have to become a responsible adult. Just let me live out my glory days a little longer, pleeeeease."

Ryan smiled and kissed her. "Alright, but I get to make the drinks. Yours could knock out even Walter…which maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea."  
>"Oh leave poor Walter alone." Jessica leaned in and whispered into Ryan's ear. "He's just jealous." She ran her hands down over his butt and squeezed his cheeks. Ryan groaned and felt himself stiffen.<p>

"Jess, I want to ask you now before we get too far along. Are you ready to have sex?"

Jessica looked at him and thought it over. Ryan could detect the slightest hint of fear. She smiled and looked at him seductively. "Yeah, I think that sounds like a great idea."  
>"Nope, you're not ready, I can see it in your eyes." He kissed gently. "But like I said I'll wait until we're ready."<p>

Ryan made them both a vodka sour. When he had his back turned Jessica added another shot or two to each. They drank their drinks and continued to talk about their days. When they had finished their first drinks, Jessica made them each another. Ryan looked at her leeringly. "We'll be fine." Jessica said, brushing him off.

They continued to drink and soon Ryan could feel his eyes lolling shut. He leaned over and kissed Jessica sloppily. "You're so beautiful." He slurred, "I love you so much." Jessica giggled and kissed him back. "You're sexy," she said, running her hands down his chest and abs. She cupped her hand around his groin and squeezed gently. Ryan moaned and bit her neck. "God, why can't I get a boner? This would be so much better if I could." Jessica laughed at him and kissed him again as she tightened her grip on his groin.

Ryan lifted Jessica onto the counter and started working at the fly her jeans. "Please let me give you head!" he begged, "God I love hearing you moan! It turns me on so much!"

"Oh god yes Ryan!" Jessica exclaimed, trying to help get her pants off. She shrieked when her bare butt touched the cold counter but soon forgot when Ryan's warm mouth started teasing her most sensitive area. She laid on her back and spread her legs far apart. Ryan worked his tongue around inside her and sucked on her clitoris. She moaned his name and ran her hands through his hair. Ryan moaned with the sensation of her nails dragging across his scalp.

Jessica felt her body tense and she practically screamed Ryan's name as her orgasm hit. He didn't stop though. Ryan continued to work his tongue around every inch of her. Jessica moaned his name and arched her back when her second orgasm overcame her. She laid there panting for air for a moment before Ryan captured her lips with his own.

"God you taste so good." Ryan said, sliding his tongue into her mouth. Jessica could taste her essence on his tongue and moaned into his mouth.

"Let's move to the bed." Jessica said, "I need to have more of you."  
>"Ok, but no sex." Ryan agreed, lifting her off the counter and onto his hips. Jessica grabbed the vodka bottle as Ryan carried her past it. She took a swig before pouring some into Ryan's mouth.<p>

"Fine, I think I can deal." Jessica said, as she bit his neck.

They entered the bedroom and Jessica jumped off of Ryan. She started pulling his clothes off and running her tongue across his body. She pushed him onto the bed and pinned him down. She started at the base of his neck and ran her tongue down his chest. She teased his nipples and bit at his stomach, laving her tongue over the new marks she had made.

She worked her way down to his waist and started kissing his member. Ryan moaned and lifted his hips and Jessica pushed him down. She took him in her mouth and sucked hard and deep. Ryan moaned and ran his hands through her hair.

"God Jessica, that feels so good!" Jessica hummed in response and Ryan arched his back. He felt himself grow hard quickly and could feel the beginning of an orgasm quivering deep within him.

"Oh my god Jessica," Ryan gasped, "I think I might cum." Jessica started sucking harder and her head bobbed up and down quickly. She tasted Ryan's pre-cum on her tongue and pulled him out of her mouth. She grabbed a bottle of lube from the nightstand and poured it directly onto his throbbing member. Jessica grasped him firmly and pumped her hand up and down Ryan's shaft. Ryan moaned and thrusted into her hand.

"Oh god, I'm so close!" Ryan exclaimed, felling his cock leak onto her hand. "Harder Jessica! Please harder!" Jessica yanked roughly on Ryan and soon he came with a shout of her name.

Jessica ran her semen and lube covered hand over Ryan's genitals and he moaned loudly.

"Oh god Jess," Ryan panted, "I needed that so much." He grabbed her face and kissed her roughly. "You know exactly the right stress reliever."

"What can I say," Jessica said seductively to him, "I'm good at what I do." She grabbed the vodka bottle and took a swig. "You had an orgasm, now you have to take a shot." Ryan laughed and took the bottle. He took a lengthy drink and handed it back to Jessica. "You have to take two because I made you cum twice." Jessica kissed him and took the bottle. She took two drinks and then set it on the floor.

Jessica started biting at Ryan's neck but he pushed her back. "No more hickies! Everyone made fun of me because I was so bruised up."  
>"Fine then, they can't see your chest." Jessica said, biting down on his chest. She bit and sucked several places on his chest and laved over the spots with her tongue. Ryan moaned and ran his hands over her body. He switched places with her and began biting at her chest and abdomen. He ran his tongue over every inch of her body and listened to her moans of desire. He sucked hard on her nipples and Jessica arched her back against him.<p>

"Please Ryan, fuck me!" she begged, "I'm so horny!"

"No!" Ryan playfully yelled, "I can't get a boner with all this booze in my cock so no sex for you!"

"But Ryan!" Jessica continued to beg.

"Nooooo!" Ryan continued to tease her, "Besides I'm tired."  
>"And you probably have a headache and your back hurts and it's that time of the month and all those over dumb excuses people use so they don't have to have sex." Jessica playfully argued. She laughed and ran her hands through his hair. "Why would anyone make up an excuse to not have sex? Especially with someone as sexy as you!" She bit at his neck and Ryan squirmed.<p>

He flopped onto his side and pulled her close. "I love you," he said to her as he nuzzled his face into her hair. "You're so sexy and amazing and pretty and I love you."

Jessica kissed his neck gently and cuddled into his chest. "I'm sleepy."

"Then let's sleep. I think I have to work tomorrow….or is it today now?"

"I don't know, shut up and sleep."

"Ok, anything for you my love."


	30. The way she should have

The way she should have

He was late. He was late for work again. Ryan rushed through traffic trying to get to the lab. He wasn't as late today because Horatio had called him at 6:30am to make sure he was awake. Some how he knew Ryan and Jessica had had another crazy night. Ryan ran his hand over the scruff on his face. He hadn't shaved for three days and it was starting to show. He showered that morning and that's why he was so late. If he had left when Horatio called he wouldn't be late. He hadn't showered since the morning of Jessica's presentation. That was Monday and now it was Wednesday. He _needed_ to shower. He needed to shave but that would take too much time.

Ryan pulled into his parking space. It was 7:18am, he was only a little late today. He jumped out of his car and chomped into the peanut butter sandwich he had made for his breakfast. He needed food. He was so hungover. God his head hurt.

He signed in at the front desk and booked it to the break room. He drank an entire cup of coffee and then poured a second he was halfway through it and topped it off. He went to the locker room. No one was there. He grabbed his stuff in peace and headed to Horatio's office.

Ryan found his boss sitting at his desk, filling out more paperwork. Ryan walked in and sat in the chair before him. Horatio looked at Ryan and laughed.

"Maybe you need to tell my daughter no more fun for the rest of the week." Horatio said to him.

Ryan chuckled. "You know I tried to tell her that last night, but she has quite a way with her words."

Horatio smiled. "She gets that from her mother."

"Is she really identical to Jessica? Johnson, that is." Ryan asked, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

Horatio reached into his desk and pulled out a bottle of aspirin. He handed it to Ryan who graciously took two and handed it back. "In so many ways Jessie Bug is the spitting imagine of her mother. Both incredibly intelligent people. They both started college at fifteen, intending to study music. The day Jessie Bug left for college I wondered if she was going to make the same decision as her mother."  
>"What was that?"<p>

"Jessabelle finished her first year of college when she realized she didn't want to play viola for the rest of her life, always competing to be the best just to have a job. Her second year she started studying criminology. When she was nineteen she graduated and enrolled at Penn State and began her grad work there, eventually earning her Masters and Doctrine in Criminology. She became a US citizen during her second year at Penn State and joined her sorority then. She said she was tired of paying for a student visa and she really liked it in the US.

"Her final semester she studied at the Chicago Center and that's when she decided she didn't want to teach, she wanted to be the change in the world that the world needed. She enrolled at the Illinois State Police Academy at twenty-three and that's when I met her."

A smile spread across Horatio's face at the memory. "I was twenty years old and had just earned my associates. I wanted to go to the police academy. So I left my home in Montana and went to Chicago to earn my badge in the city. There she was, at the same table as me, filling out paperwork. She was so beautiful. She smiled at me and I smiled back. She moved to the chair across from me. She told me her name was Dr. Jessica Stone. I think it was in that moment that I realized I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. She was perfect."

"You said she applied to be a US citizen. Where was she from?" Ryan asked, drinking his coffee.

"Ireland," Horatio said, "She was born and raised in Ireland. She had the most beautiful accent I had ever heard. She had been in the country for four years when I met her but she still had that accent. She had it until the day she died. She never lost it. She used to sing to Jessie Bug when she was a baby and I would listen. It was beautiful. It made me love her so much more."  
>Ryan smiled at Horatio. "She really does sound just like Jessica. I wish I could have met her. I'm sorry you lost her so soon. How old was she when she died?"<p>

"Jessabelle died just a few days shy of her thirty-third birthday." Horatio said, his eyes seeming to glaze over but a smile danced across his face. "They share a birthday. Jessabelle and Bug have the same birthday. Jessabelle said Bug was the best birthday present ever. I think that's why Jessie Bug refused to change her birthday when she changed her name."

Ryan smiled and offered his boss a caring smile. "Thanks Horatio, I really appreciate it when you tell me these things."

Horatio smiled at the young man. "Well Jessie Bug seems to love you. I can't seem to wrap my head around how she picked you out, but I'm glad she did. You've really proven yourself to me Ryan Wolfe. I'm proud to say you're stolen my daughter's heart."

Ryan smiled. "Well it's more like she stole mine. She just gave me hers in exchange."

* * *

><p>Why were the lights so bright? Jessica couldn't escape the lights. They were so bright. She stumbled out of the bed and into the bathroom. She needed to shower. She turned the water on and stepped in. The water pounded against her head and poured down her body. The hot water relaxed her tense muscles. She tried to remember what she and Ryan did the night before. She remembered Ryan performing oral sex on her. She didn't think they had had sex. She didn't feel like they had. She tried to remember. She knew it had been another crazy night. She tried so hard to remember. Her head was pounding so hard and the lights were so bright.<p>

She climbed out of the shower and toweled off. She pulled on the first set of clothes she could find. Jessica stumbled when she stepped on something cold. It was the vodka bottle. They had drank about a third of it between them the night before. She opened and sniffed the contents. It burned her nose and made her head spin. She brought the bottle to her lips and took a long drink. The pressure already started to diminish and she started to feel better.

Jessica wandered down the stairs to the kitchen. She needed to eat something before she left for the hospital. She had an appointment with Alexx to get some tests done before her surgery on Friday. She had about two hours to get rid of her hangover and be at the hospital. Jessica started a pot of coffee and began scrambling eggs. She ate alone at the table and drank her coffee.

Jessica loaded everything into the dishwasher and discovered she and Ryan had forgotten to start it the night before. She punched a few a buttons and it started with a groan. Jessica leaned against the counter and continued to drink her coffee. She needed some aspirin but Alexx had told her to come in with a clean system so she could run some blood work.

Jessica glanced at the vodka bottle she had brought down intending to put it in the freezer. She lifted it and swirled the contents in the bottle and watched a cyclone form in the center. She shrugged her shoulders and uncapped it. She poured a few shots into her coffee and swirled her mug. "Can't do any harm," she muttered to herself as she took a drink.

* * *

><p>Horatio walked through the halls with Ryan. They were discussing the case they were working on together and the trace results they had received from Travers when Frank caught up with Horatio.<p>

"Horatio," Frank said, "Can I get you to run a partial plate through the system? We had a woman call and say she thinks she saw a drunk driver but we can't put out a BOLO unless we have a full plate, especially with this kind of car."  
>"Sure Frank, what are you looking for?" Horatio inquired.<p>

"Well it's a blue Jeep, and you know how common those are around here. The woman was able to get the first three digits of the plate number. We're looking for someone with a FQ7 with Florida plates. If you find anything in the system let me know."  
>Horatio stood there speechless. Ryan could see the panic in his eyes and knew what was happening. "That's your car, isn't H?" Horatio slowly nodded his head. "Jessie Bug still has it." He quietly said. He looked at Frank. "Frank, please let me handle this. I can't have the entire department going after her. She can't have this on her record."<br>"But Horatio," Frank said, "The woman only said she thought the driver was drunk. I've seen your daughter drive, she's a frickin speed demon some days."

Horatio's phone rang. "Caine" he said as he quickly answered.

"Horatio, its Alexx." He heard Alexx's voice say.

"Alexx, is something wrong?" Horatio asked worried.

"Yes, Jessica needs to come back to the hospital, her tests have been compromised."  
>"Compromised? How?"<p>

"Her blood work came back with a blood alcohol content of 0.09. Jessie Bug's legally drunk."

"But if she's legally drunk why do you want her to come back?" Horatio asked, "Her tests would still come back compromised."

"Because she drove herself Horatio. Jessie Bug needs to come back before she gets caught."  
>Horatio sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Alright Alexx, we'll find her." He hung up his phone and looked back at Frank and Ryan.<p>

"Frank I need as many of your patrol units as you can give me." Horatio said, pulling a pad of paper from his pocket and a pen. He jotted down some notes and handed the paper to Frank. "That is the car you're looking for. Please don't put a BOLO out on this. Just have them take Jessica to the hospital and I'll be there as soon as I can."

Frank looked at the paper in his hand and looked at Horatio confused. "Horatio, what's going on?"

"That was Alexx, she said Jessica's alcohol blood content came back as a 0.09, she's legally drunk. If anyone else finds her then she'll be hauled off to jail." Horatio turned to Ryan. He was pale and Horatio could see Ryan's hands shaking. "Ryan you're taking Hummer four and I'll take one. We need to find her and we need to do it now!"

* * *

><p>Ryan sped down the street in his Hummer, sirens and lights blaring. He looked at every blue Jeep that came into view. He drove blindly, listening to the radio traffic, hoping he wouldn't hear that someone else found her. His phone rang and he saw Horatio's number flashing on the screen.<p>

"Yeah H?" he answered.

"Have you found her Ryan?" Horatio asked.

"No, I haven't seen your Jeep anywhere."

"Where would she go?"

"I don't know, I already checked back at my place and drove past some of her favorite stores, the tattoo parlor, and the bar." Ryan felt his eyes water. "I can't find her H."  
>"Ryan relax, she's out there somewhere, just keep looking."<p>

Ryan hung up and sped past a stubborn Corvette that wouldn't pull over. He jotted down the plate number in a text to Frank, hoping he would send the guy a ticket in the mail. Ryan flew down Coral Street and sped past the coastline. He didn't see Horatio's Jeep parked at the beach. He pasted Stone Cove and there was still no sign of Jessica.

Ryan took a sharp left and headed back downtown. There wasn't a blue Jeep anywhere. Ryan was starting to panic. He was afraid he wasn't going to find her.

Then Ryan saw the City View Condos. He slammed on his brakes and turned quickly into the parking lot. There it was. The blue Jeep was parked in Jessica's spot, Florida license plates FQ7JR8. Ryan pulled into the space next to it, not caring who it belonged, they could deal with a police vehicle being in their spot and get over it. Ryan lifted the radio to his lips and began to transmit.

"This is CSI Wolfe, I have the vehicle in question in my possession. It's empty and the driver not present."  
>"CSI Wolfe this is Lieutenant Caine, what's your 10-20?"<p>

"City View Condominiums, headed inside now in search of the driver."

"10-4 CSI Wolfe, call me. This is Lieutenant Caine to all units end the search, the situation has been resolved."

Ryan jumped from the Hummer, barely remembering to lock it since he wasn't at a crime scene. He ran into the building, barely acknowledging Henry. He back tracked and went to the doorman's desk.

"Henry, has Jessica been through here?" Ryan asked him.

"Yes Officer Wolfe, she came through about thirty minutes ago." Henry answered, clearly able to detect Ryan's panic.

"Thank you" he said as he ran towards the elevator.

Ryan dialed Horatio's number.

"Caine"

"Horatio, Henry says Jessica came through about thirty minutes ago. I'm headed up to her condo."

"Alright, call me with her condition."

"You got it H."

Ryan walked out of the elevator cart. He unlocked the door to Jessica's condo and walked in. It was quiet, Jessica wasn't in the living room. Ryan slowly walked through the door and closed and locked it behind him. He walked through the condo towards the kitchen.

There she was. He found Jessica sitting on the kitchen floor, a practically empty fifth of vodka in hand, and broken glass all over the floor.

"Jess," Ryan said, "What's going on?"

"What do you care?" Jessica slurred. She poured some vodka into the glass and drank at least two shots in one gulp.

"Why is there glass all over the floor? Are you hurt? Where did that alcohol come from? What happened here?"

"What's it matter?" Jessica said, staring at her empty glass with great intensity. "I'm an adult. I'll do what I want."

"Jessica we've been looking all over for you! Alexx said you came in for your tests this morning already drunk."  
>"Oppsies," Jessica sarcastically said, "Guess I over did the hangover remedy."<p>

"Jessica some woman called in a drunk driver and Frank was going to put a BOLO out on you." Ryan walked closer to her, "Do you have any idea what it did to Horatio to hear Frank says the BOLO was for _his_ car that _you_ were driving?"

"Bet that sucked."

"Jessica, Horatio risked a lot for you today. He should have let Frank put out that BOLO, but he didn't. He sent Frank and a few of his guys with a description of the car and instructions to take you to the hospital. Horatio and I have been driving around for the last forty minutes looking for you. What would you have done if another cop found you and took you to jail for a DUI?"

"Eh, started over from square one. I think I like the name Holly."

Ryan groaned and hit the wall. "Why don't you understand? Do you know how many people's lives you put at risk today driving around drunk? You could have killed someone!"

"Not like it would have been a first."

Jessica took another shot. "Jessica," Ryan said, "Have you drank that entire bottle yourself?"

"You bet like fuck I have little buddy." she said, taking another shot.

"Jess you need to stop. Let me get you some water. God, you'll be lucky if we don't have to go to the hospital for alcohol poisoning." Ryan walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass out of the cupboard. He barely made it to the sink before Jessica started yelling.

"Shut your fucking mouth!" she screamed at him. "You don't know anything about me!" She threw the glass in her hand at Ryan. It hit him in the leg and fell to the ground, shattering when it hit the tile floor. Ryan looked at Jessica, hurt filling his hazel eyes. He set the glass on the counter and walked out of the kitchen. He slammed the door to the guest bedroom and locked it.

Jessica sat there and watched him walk away. She lifted the bottle and took a drink. It suddenly was bitter and burned too much. She spit it out and then vomited all over her legs. She sat up and started crying. Jessica felt ashamed that she was drunk and had sunk this low. Now she had hurt someone she loved, someone who loved her and cared more for her than his own life. She wasn't any better than James. In fact she was just like him.

* * *

><p>Ryan paced the room, pulling at his hair. He pulled out his phone and called Horatio.<p>

"Ryan, how's Jessica?"  
>Ryan felt tears fill his eyes and his voice leave him. He managed a staggered, whimpering sound before he started sobbing.<p>

"Ryan? Ryan what's going on?" Horatio pressed.

"She's drunk." Ryan finally managed, "She's in the kitchen, sitting on the floor completely shit faced drunk."

Horatio sighed in relief. He feared Ryan was going to tell him Jessica was dead. "How bad is it?"

"She's yelling at me and telling me I don't know anything and…." Ryan tried to catch his breath.

"Ryan does she need to go to the hospital?"

"I don't know, I didn't hang around to assess her. I couldn't stand to be around her like that. It was like being with my father again."

Horatio was silent for a moment. He had never heard Ryan mention anything about his parents before. They had died when he was so young he was surprised Ryan could remember anything at all, let alone something terrible like this. "Ryan just relax. Calm down and go back in there and talk to her."

"I don't want to."  
>"Ryan now is not the time to act like this. Jessica needs you. Please Ryan, go in and talk to her. Bring her to the hospital."<br>Ryan sat on the bed and didn't speak. "No, I'm going to deal with this my way."

"Ryan Wolfe that is my daughter you're talking about!" Horatio growled at him. "You take her to the hospital right now!"

"No H, you said it yourself. Jessica needs me right now. I'm going to deal with this the way my mother should have."

Ryan hung up the phone before Horatio could argue. It immediately started ringing again and Ryan hit ignore. He pulled the battery out and set it on the nightstand. Ryan laid down on the bed. His tears fell silently down his cheeks as he remembered the night his father beat his mother while he hid in the closet. He couldn't help her back then, but he could do something about it now.


	31. Who are you?

Who are you?

Ryan woke up the next morning. He hadn't realized he had fallen asleep. He picked his phone up and snapped the battery back in and turned it on. It said it was 8:15am and he had thirty-seven missed calls and seventeen text messages from Horatio. They said pretty much the same thing. Horatio ordered Ryan to call him in the first couple. Then he started begging. Then he started asking if Ryan was ok and how Jessica was doing. The last one was different though.

'Mr. Wolfe either call me or consider yourself no longer an employee at Miami Dade.'

Horatio had sent that one two hours ago. "Oh well," Ryan muttered to himself, stuffing his phone into his pocket.

Ryan walked into the kitchen to find Jessica still sitting there. It looked like she hadn't moved all night. There was bile dribbled down her shirt and on her legs. Ryan could smell urine and guessed that Jessica had peed during the night without waking up. The fifth had fallen over and the vodka was pooling on the floor. He looked at her and felt the pain that she had caused him the night before.

Ryan turned and walked into the guest bedroom. He went into the bathroom and turned on the water in the tub. He watched the bath slowly fill with water until it was about half full. He turned the water off and walked back to the kitchen. Ryan lifted the still unconscious Jessica into his arms and carried her into the bathroom. He stood there for a moment just looking at her. Ryan took a deep breathe and dropped her.

Jessica woke with a shock as she felt something ice cold surround her body. She screamed and flailed her arms. When she realized that she was in her guest room bathtub she stopped screaming and tried to sit up. She gasped for air and felt tears in her eyes. Jessica looked up and saw Ryan standing there looking down on her.

"I thought you would like to clean yourself up after last night." He said to her. Jessica could hear the pain in his voice and knew he was still hurting. Ryan turned and walked out of the bathroom, leaving Jessica alone.

Jessica sat in the water looking towards the door. She began crying and felt ashamed that this was what she had allowed her life to come to.

* * *

><p>Ryan walked back into the kitchen. It was a mess and smelled terrible. He pulled his phone out and dialed Horatio's number.<p>

"Ryan Wolfe my daughter had better be ok!" Horatio barked at him as soon as he answered.

"Yeah, Jessica's fine. She's showering right now." Ryan said gloomily.

Horatio paused, he hadn't missed the pain in Ryan's voice. "Ryan, are you ok?"

Ryan broke down and started sobbing. He couldn't speak for the longest time. Horatio stood there and listened to his pained sobs. He wished he could comfort Ryan, but didn't know what to do. "I'm taking her to Dr. Thompson today." Ryan finally said, "I don't care what she says, she needs to go. I won't be in the lab today either, but then again I probably don't work there anymore."

"No Ryan, you're still employed." Horatio said, "Please take care of Jessica, and Ryan take care of yourself. I know you thought everything was going back to normal but clearly it didn't. I know this hurt you just as much as it did Jessica. You need some help, too."  
>Ryan nodded his head, even though he knew his boss couldn't see him. "Yeah, I think need help. I don't know what to do and I can't stop feeling this way."<p>

"Talk to Dr. Thompson Ryan, she'll help you both."  
>"Thanks Horatio." Ryan said with a smile.<p>

* * *

><p>Jessica walked out of the bathroom in the bathrobe she left in there for visitors. She walked into the kitchen and found it spotlessly clean. The fifth of vodka was sitting on the counter next to the sink and Jessica felt herself become queasy at the mere site of it. She wandered into the living and found Ryan sitting on the couch, his pants still soaked from the bath water.<p>

Jessica slowly walked over and sat down on the floor by his legs. She looked up at Ryan and saw he had been crying. His eyes were red and puffy and he sniffed occasionally. Jessica carefully placed her hands on his leg and rested her forehead against them. She lifted her head looked at Ryan again.

"I'm sorry," Jessica said quietly, her voice cracking a bit, "I can't believe what I've become. I never wanted to hurt you the way I was hurt and that's exactly what I did. I'm so sorry I said those things to you and hurt you the way I did." Ryan didn't say anything, he didn't even look at her. Jessica placed her forehead on her hands and started to cry more.

Ryan reached down and placed his hand on her cheek. Jessica looked up and was met by his pained eyes. "Who are you?" he asked, "What happened to my Jessica? The Jessica I know would never do these things. She would never let what happened to her control who she is. The Jessica I know is stronger than that. What happened to her? Where's my Jessica?"

Jessica started crying harder and leaned into his hand. "I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head, "I don't know."

Ryan placed his other hand on top of Jessica's that still rested on his leg and pulled her head up so she would look at him.

"We have an appointment with Dr. Thompson at three o'clock." he said, "She wants to talk to us individually and then together." Jessica looked at him with her big blue eyes. Ryan could see a bit of green mixed in around her pupils. "We need this Jessica. We need help if we're going to get through this. I can't sit here and watch you hurt anymore. I need you back. Without you my life is worth nothing."

Jessica reached her hand up and placed it on top of Ryan's. She felt the cold metal of the ring on her hand and knew Ryan could feel it against his hand, too. "Please help me Ryan; I don't want to be who I used to be again."


	32. What do you need?

What do you need?

Jessica and Ryan rode in silence as Ryan drove them to Dr. Thompson's office in Horatio's blue Jeep. Jessica picked at her nails, chipping at the nail polish she had just painted on a few days before.

"You shouldn't do that." Ryan mumbled, "It's not good for your nails."

"Sorry," Jessica muttered, shoving her hands under her legs. Ryan reached over and took her left hand in his. He intertwined their fingers and just held her hand, his thumb grazing over the ring.

"It's alright, you have nothing to be sorry about."  
>"Yes I do."<br>"Jess, stop beating yourself up."  
>"But Ryan-"<p>

"No, no more until we get to Dr. Thompson's." Ryan said sternly to her. Jessica turned her face away from him towards the window. She didn't want him to see her cry again.

Ryan pulled up to the Doctor's office and cut the engine. He turned and looked at Jessica. He gently ran his fingers down her cheek. "Come on, love, let's go." Ryan quietly said to her. Jessica let go of his hand and climbed out of the Jeep. She refused to give Ryan her hand as they walked into the office, and instead shoved them into the pockets of her jeans. She was angry that he brought her here and her head was pounding. But Jessica knew Ryan was right, she wasn't going to get better unless she got the help she needed. That's how Jessica knew Ryan was better than her; he got the help he needed, she didn't.

Ryan signed them in and they sat in chairs next to each other in the waiting room. It only took Ryan about thirty seconds before he started arranging magazines on the table in front of them. Jessica smiled and reached for his hand. She slipped her hand into his and held it in both of hers.

"You drive me nuts sometimes." She said, "I think that's why I like you so much."

Ryan smiled at her and leaned in and kissed her forehead. "You're not mad at me for bringing you here, are you?"

"Of course I am, but I'll get over it." She gave him a weak smile and Ryan leaned in and kissed her. "That's why I love you," he said to her.

Dr. Thompson appeared in the door and smiled at them. "Ryan, Jessica it's good to see you. I take it you haven't been waiting long since you haven't fully alphabetized my magazines."

Ryan chuckled, "No we just got here a few minutes ago."

She gave them a caring smile. "Well why don't the two of you come back and we'll talk." Jessica and Ryan stood together and walked back to Dr. Thompson's office holding hands.

They sat in the small room together on the couch, Dr. Thompson in the chair across from them.

"Alright we're just going to cut to the chase." She started, "Jessica I know what happened to you almost two months ago. I'm going to guess you're suffering PSTD and that's what's causing this drinking problem. How long have you been drinking since you left the hospital?"

"Um, about two weeks, since the trial ended," Jessica quietly said. She felt Ryan's grip tighten on her hand.

"How did it start?"

"I wanted to forget. Every time I closed my eyes I was there again. I was on that boat; he was hurting me, raping me, killing me. I wasn't sleeping and neither was my father. We had wine with dinner one night and when I took my painkillers after that I finally slept through the night without having a nightmare. So I stole liquor from Horatio's cabinet and started taking my painkillers with alcohol. I was finally sleeping without having nightmares. I didn't think I was hurting anyone."

"When did you start drinking to get drunk?"

"That started this week. After my senior presentation I knew I wanted to cut loose. The next day I actually drank some to get rid of the hangover and then I started itching. I was so itchy and the alcohol made the itching go away."

"What was making you itch?"

"The withdrawal, I'm sure of it. It's the same way I used to itch when I needed a fix from heroin or alcohol when I was younger. I just knew if I drank it would get rid of the itch."

"Why did you make Ryan drink?"

Jessica shook her head. "I just thought we could have a little fun. I thought we would be ok."

"Were you ok Ryan?"

"Well yeah," Ryan said, "You know it was nice having the old Jessica back, at least that's what I thought was going on. But when I realized yesterday morning that I couldn't remember what happened the last two nights I knew I needed to talk to Jessica about the drinking. Then Frank got the call about the drunk driver that turned out to be Jessica."  
>"How did that make you feel?"<p>

"I was terrified. I was afraid she was going to go to jail or kill someone or herself." Ryan rubbed his eyes and felt Jessica squeeze his hand. "I couldn't stand the thought of Jessica dying. I love her so much. When I was driving around looking for her I tried to imagine my life without her. I didn't want to be in this relationship anymore. I didn't want another alcoholic in my life. I was going to break up with her when I found her. I wanted her out of my life. But I couldn't imagine life without her." Ryan looked at Jessica. She had tears forming in her eyes and Ryan could feel his own working their way down his face. "I love you Jessica. I don't ever want to have a life where you're not there."

"Ryan why don't we start this session with you?" Dr. Thompson suggested, "Jessica can wait in the waiting room and we can talk about what's going on in your life. Would that be alright Jessica?"

"Yeah," Jessica quietly said standing. She looked at Ryan and ran her fingers through his hair, gently grazing her nails against his scalp. She smiled at him and kissed his forehead. She walked out of the office and down the hall. Jessica sat in a chair in the waiting room. She pulled out her cell phone and sent Sami a text.

'I think I really fucked up this time Sami. Can I call you later?'

A few minutes later her phone buzzed and Jessica tapped the screen to open the text from Sami.

'You know chicka I would say yes but it's almost bed time here. How about we talk tomorrow?'

'Yeah that's fine, I just need to talk to someone.'

'You want to tell me what's up?'

Jessica hesitated but responded. 'I started hitting the booze again after the trial and I may have just ruined my relationship with Ryan.'

'Oh no Jessie. What happened?'

'I got really drunk the last few nights and made him drink with me. I drove myself to the hospital and back home yesterday drunk. Horatio sent a search party out after me and Ryan said when he was looking he decided when he found me he was going to break up with me, but he couldn't do it because he doesn't want this to end.'

'Oh god Jessie. : ( You're not going to break up with him, are you?'

'No, I don't want this to end either. I care too much about him.'

'Do you still love him?'

'That's the thing, I don't know if I do anymore. We're at the therapist right now. I'm hoping she can help me. I don't want to feel this way anymore.'

'Everything's going to work out chicka, you'll see. : )'

Jessica smiled to herself. 'Thanks Sami.'

'That's what friends are for sweetie.'

* * *

><p>"So tell me Ryan," Dr. Thompson said, "Where do you see this relationship with Jessica going?"<p>

They had been talking for quite some time. Ryan felt tired and worn out. He really didn't want to talk anymore but knew he needed to if he wanted to feel better.

"We've been dating for nine months come this Monday. She's changed my life. I feel like I'm a completely different person now. She's helped me grow and Horatio says he trusts me again." Ryan rubbed his eyes, feeling more tears threatening to fall. "I don't know where this relationship is going. For a while there I thought we might get married eventually. We were going to have a baby and become a family. She was scared that I was going to leave her when I learned she was pregnant but I couldn't do that to her. Even if we did break up it was still my child and I couldn't abandon my child."

"You keep saying that you want to spend the rest of your life with Jessica. Do you still see you two getting married? I mean, that's generally what people do when they find the person they believe is their soul mate."

Ryan sighed and looked out the window. "I don't know anymore. I was planning on asking Horatio if I could marry her when we got to the one year mark, but I don't know if that's going to happen anymore."  
>"Do you think this isn't going to work out now?"<p>

"I think we're in a rut. It's happened before and I think we need to get out of it. So much happened to her and then she spent so much time in the hospital. It took forever for her to not run from me in fear. We just need to get through this together and everything will work out again. I don't want this to end. I want to be with Jessica. I love her, I just don't know if she still loves me."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because I haven't heard her say it since the day she was kidnapped."

* * *

><p>Jessica picked at her nails and glanced at Dr. Thompson. They had been talking for an hour. They had discussed her kidnapping and the trial and how she felt about the situation. Jessica sat on her hands when she thought about her conversation with Ryan earlier.<p>

"I think it made me stronger." Jessica said, "I've been living in this place where I see myself as both Izzy and Jessica. I think this whole thing made me realize that I need to be one or the other, Jessica or Izzy." Jessica sighed. "I've been thinking about dropping the Stone part of my name and just being Jessica Caine again."

"Why did you add Stone?"

"I didn't really add it, it's legally part of my name, but I dropped Caine for a while because I didn't want everyone at the crime lab knowing Horatio was my father and Caine isn't exactly a very common last name. The hyphen in my name isn't really there on my birth certificate. I started putting it there myself. Stone is actually my second middle name, Elizabeth Stone."  
>"Why would you do that?"<p>

"I wanted to be my mother. That's why I changed my name to hers when I went into the Witness Protection Program. But I can't be her, I'm someone else. I have to be my own person."

"What about Ryan?" Dr. Thompson asked, "Where do you see your relationship with Ryan going?"

"I don't know." Jessica responded.

"Do you love him still?"

"I don't know anymore. I thought I did but when I try to tell him that I do I can't seem to bring myself to say it."  
>"Are you afraid of loving him?"<p>

"I don't know. I want to but it's so hard. I'm starting to wonder if I ever did to begin with. Maybe it was another misconception of mine. So many times I thought it was love but it turned out to be nothing." Jessica brushed a tear from her cheek. "I thought Ryan was different. He cared about me like no one else before had. Sometimes I think he cares more about me than he does himself. He's done so much for me. I don't think its right. I'm not that important."

"Well obviously to Ryan you are." Dr. Thompson said, "He cares a lot about you Jessica."  
>"I know, I know. I wish I could say I feel the same way, but I don't anymore, I think. I wish I knew what I wanted now."<p>

"Jessica, what do you think you need?"

"I need some frickin aspirin." Jessica said, resting her head in her hands. "This hangover is killing me!"

Dr. Thompson smiled at her and stood from her chair. She grabbed a bottle from her desk and handed a couple of aspirin and a bottle of water to Jessica.

"Thank you, you're a life saver." Jessica said, taking the pills.

"Jessica, do you feel like you know what you want in life?"

"I want to become me, Jessica Caine. I'm tried of living in the past and trying to be someone I'm not. Izzy Johnson is dead, she's gone, and I'm not her. Yes she affects my life because her past is my past. We used to be the same person, but we're not anymore. I need to move forward with my life. I can't sit here in this rut and expect things to change."

"So are you going to stop calling yourself Dr. Stone-Caine?"

"I'm thinking about it. I was Jessica Caine for awhile, when I graduated from high school and attended college as Jessica Caine. I think it's time I left Jessica Stone behind. I miss my mother, but I'm not her. I never will be."

"Jessica, what do you need? What do you need to become Jessica Caine? What can you do that will make you feel better about this whole situation?"

Jessica paused. She thought long and hard about the question.

"Jessica?" Dr. Thompson prompted.

Jessica looked at Dr. Thompson, her eyes huge and shining.

"I need to get out of Miami."


	33. Love, Excitement, Life

**So this is the final chapter in this story. Thank you to all have read and reviewed and all the favorites!**

Love, Excitement, and Life

Ryan drove down the street in Horatio's Jeep, Jessica in the passenger seat. They had finally left after two and a half hours of talking to Dr. Thompson. Jessica was really quiet and Ryan worried a little about her. Jessica and Dr. Thompson had spent most of their time at the appointment talking alone.

Ryan slipped his hand into Jessica's. She jumped at the sudden contact. She looked at him and he smiled at her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her. Jessica shrugged her shoulders. "About as good as I'm going to feel with a terrible hangover, alcohol withdrawal, and having just relived the worst few weeks of my life…again."

Ryan lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "That's why you're the strongest person I know."  
>Jessica looked out the window. "Ok cod, where are you taking me?"<p>

Ryan chuckled at the play off nickname cod from OCD. "What do you mean Dr. Stone-Caine?"

Jessica scoffed, "This is not the way to either of our apartments. Where are you taking me?"

Ryan smiled at her. "You never cease to amaze me. I'm taking you out to dinner."

"Why?" Jessica asked confused.

"Because this upcoming Monday marks nine months that we've been together, and what an exciting nine months it has been." Ryan brushed his thumb against Jessica's ring. "Oh Jessica Stone-Caine, what would I do without you?"

"Have more time, less to worry about, more money from not buying me presents, less need for a therapist, and maybe a boring sex life." Jessica offered him a weak smile.

Ryan brought her hand to his lips again. "I knew there was a reason I let you have my heart."

They pulled into the Italian restaurant where they had their first date. Ryan jumped out and ran around to Jessica's door. He opened her door and stood there in front of her. He leaned in and gently kissed her on the lips. Jessica sat there, wishing the butterflies would leave her stomach and her heart would stop pounding so hard.

Ryan took her hand and they walked into the restaurant together. Ryan wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of Jessica's head as they waited to be seated.

"This is the place," he said to her, "Where I realized I wanted to be with you no matter what the rules said. This is where you finally stole my heart."  
>Jessica couldn't help but smile. "I thought I took it in the lab when I kissed you."<p>

"You know I think that's where you first tried, but I wouldn't let you."  
>"And the locker room?"<p>

"I tried to take yours but I stopped myself. I didn't want to break the rules again. It was here that I decided the hell with the rules and I let you take me."

"I took your heart?"

"Yes, you're so beautiful you stole my heart right out of my chest."

"But then your chest would be empty. You can't live without a heart."  
>"That's why I stole your heart."<br>"But how can we exchange hearts? I thought you could only have your own heart."

"Not when you share a soul, then you can exchange hearts all you want." Ryan said, kissing the top of her head, pulling her close. "I love you Jessica Stone-Caine. I always will no matter what."

They were seated at their table and Ryan ordered them each coffee and water, as they looked over their menus. As they waited for their food Ryan looked at Jessica and smiled.

"So how does it feel to finally be finishing college after thirteen years?" he asked her.

Jessica smiled. "Well it feels pretty damn good. I almost quit after the first PhD, but something kept me going. I called Horatio and told him I was dropping out of Miami University's graduate program after I got my Doctrine in Criminology, but he wouldn't let me. He said that if I did I would loose my funding."

"Funding?" Ryan asked.

"Well you see my schooling was funded through the Chicago Center Program and the Illinois State Police. It was a duel scholarship system in memory of my mother. Each year they selected one student from an Illinois high school that displayed great potential. As long as I was in college my tuition was paid for through this scholarship program. But if I didn't finish my graduate program I would have to pay for my last semester on my own, and believe me Doctrine programs are not that cheap."

Jessica smiled at the memory. "I had just turned twenty-four and had graduated with my Doctrine in Criminology from Miami University. I guess Horatio always has been that swift kick in the ass I've always needed. I was the first student to receive the scholarship funding in six years. I thought they gave it to me because Jessica was my mother, but Horatio pointed out that my name on the application said Jessica Elizabeth Caine. There was no way they knew."

Ryan smiled at her and reached across the table and held her face in his hand. He gently kissed and smiled against her lips. "Always, you always amaze me every day."

Their food arrived and Ryan lifted his coffee mug. "A toast- to nine months of love, excitement, and life."

Jessica couldn't help but smile and lifted her mug. "I'll drink to that. Peace, love, and ladybugs, Ryan Wolfe."  
>"What's that?"<p>

"An Alpha Sig term my mother coined." She said with a smile as she drank her coffee.

**So ends this chapter of Jessica and Ryan's life together. The next story shall be up soon. And it's intense!**


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